Val had never been a great believer of the phrase 'time is a healer'.

She'd always thought it to be a spiteful lie, wondering how simply waiting could possibly soothe a wound as big as the loss of life, yet here she was, lying beside her sleeping husband and feeling more content than she had in weeks.

It had been about two and a half since she and Varian had aired their grievances and promised to work at it, and to both of their credits, they had done exactly that.

The first few days had been difficult and had tried them both, but once even a week had gone by they'd both noticed that things felt easier to get on with, that their days weren't just long slogs anymore.

By the second, they'd started to reach a fractured normality that had been impossible to envision when Elliot had died.

They'd both agreed that there were things that they needed to put at the forefront of their minds and take his place, and although they would miss him for the rest of their lives, there he would stay, at the small pocket of thought they'd made for him.

So when she had woken up that morning her hand hadn't flown to her belly, or pressed down hard enough to hurt in a vain attempt to conjure a kick that wasn't coming, she'd merely lain there and listened to the birds outside the open window, smiling as she passed her own test and didn't start crying out of harsh realisation at the fact that Elliot wasn't there.

She was almost asleep again, soothed by the rushing of the waterfall that churned Mirror Lake, only woken by the loud grunts Varian would startle her with in his fitful slumber.

She had no idea what time it was, neither did she care, she was just happy that she was here doing something as trivial as considering getting out of bed, for she'd even started to give up on that.

Esme was pawing at the bed-frame underneath her, clearly demanding attention, so Val reached down and lifted the tabby, letting her nestle on her chest and digging her fingers through her soft fur. "Good morning, Sunshine."

Esme meowed impatiently, putting her paw on Val's nose and leaving her arms to sit between her and Varian. "I know, Precious, you want breakfast."

Esme's tail kept brushing Varian's nose, and she could see him start to stir, which wasn't at all what she wanted. "There's a whole lake of fish out there, Esme. Go out there."

Varian huffed, batting the feline appendage away and somehow narrowing his closed eyes. "Yes, and make sure to fucking drown, you annoying little pest."

While Val wasn't thrilled that the cat had made herself the centre of the universe like she always did, she couldn't let that slide. "Varian, shut up."

He turned onto his back, scratching a gnat bite on his stomach. "I just woke up to cat arse right in my face, I'm allowed to be less than peppy."

She was trying not to laugh, letting Esme chase her hand when she rolled over to see him.

"It means she loves you, that's all."

Now his eyebrow rose over still surprisingly closed eyes. "I'm afraid then that it's rather a one sided relationship."

She leant over the reclined feline, pecking him on his parted lips. "Good morning."

One eye slowly opened and his head lolled to the side, giving her the warmest of smiles. "Morning, Sweetheart."

His eyes closed again but she knew he wasn't going back to sleep, he was too much like her; once they were up, it took alot for slumber to claim them. "I had this dream that the Horde just disappeared and I didn't have to go to any more meetings."

Val grinned, gently scratching Esme's belly. "Sounds like a good one."

Varian huffed in amusement. "It was bloody brilliant."

Her smile grew smaller, however. "Surely there's not that many more to go though?"

He grimaced, running a hand down his face and digging the sleep from his eyes. "In theory, today shouldbe the last one. Then if all goes well, we can leave sooner rather than later."

His face straightened too much for her liking. "I'm just praying this isn't a trap by the Horde to get rid of more of us."

Val knew it was a valid fear to have but tried to be as reassuring as she could be. "I doubt Thrall would be open about everything as he has been if he wanted to spring something on you, Varian."

His top lip started to curl. "I don't trust that bastard as far as I can throw him. Nothing of what he said matters anymore."

He shifted his shoulders, creasing his brow. "We'll just have to make sure we go in prepared."

"And are you?"

One of his eyes opened. "Am I what?"

She let Esme's tail curl around her hand. "Prepared?"

A smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. "Ask me again when I get back. If I'm missing a few limbs or have wooden lungs, you'll know I wasn't."

She put Esme on the floor and patted her backside so she trotted into the front room, looking less than impressed at his 'jest'. "That's not even funny Varian."

Varian's arm hooked around her waist and brought her back, pressing her spine against his chest and his lips to the back of her head. "What, so you wouldn't want me if I came back with one leg?"

She held onto his arm, snuggling down into the pillow. "Oh no, I wouldn't care in the least, but it's not shallow to want my husband to come back with all the bits he left with."

She looked up at him, glad that his height meant that a bent elbow was enough to make it easy to talk to him. "I married you for your muscles, after all."

His chuckle warmed her ear as she put her head back to save her neck, feeling his chin sit on the top of it as they merely lay there. "And here I was thinking you couldn't resist my charms."

Val started laughing as well, turning over and walking her fingers up his arm. "You have as much charm as a goat, Varian."

She poked his chest, putting her hair behind her ear. "No, I just wanted someone tall enough to reach high shelves and big enough to carry things for me, brains weren't required."

He huffed, but she could still see a smile tugging at his lips. "It's nice to see your hilarious wit has returned, Val."

She let him have the kiss he bent down for, smiling into the second and turning it into a grin with the third. "It's almost like I've got you back properly."

She understood exactly what he meant, nestling against him. "I've still got a little way to go, but I'd like to think we've both made progress."

He had such sincerity in his eyes that she felt her chest fill with the same, closing her eyes at the fourth kiss. "We're doing better than I could've ever dreamed of. Three weeks ago I would scoff at anyone who told me you'd let me kiss you like this."

Val's nose scrunched. "Three weeks ago Varian, I wouldn't have anyway."

She swallowed, wondering exactly how to put this without offending him. "But I'm drawing the line there, just for now, alright?"

Varian gently pecked her forehead to make a point, tightening his arm around her. "It's more than alright, Sweetheart, you know that. You can tell me the minute you're ready, but until that point, I know where the washroom is and how to lock its door."

She appreciated how he was trying to lighten the subject when really, it was just another rejection on her part.

The fear that she could fall again unfortunately still lingered and she supposed the two of them would just have to accept it for now. "Thank you."

Varian cupped her cheek, stroking it with a thumb. "No 'thank yous' necessary."

She turned again and lay on her front across the pillow, fumbling for her watch on the bedside and clicking it open once her fingers curled around it. "I didn't realise it was that late already."

Varian murmured an agreement, planting a few lazy kisses on her back. "No one's going to condemn us for sleeping in Val."

She clearly wasn't so sure, putting her watch back and shuffling backwards until they somehow ended up sitting side by side. "They will when you turn up late to council."

Varian bent one leg and straightened the other, leaning his head back on the wall. "Considering I don't want to go at all, getting there late will be the least of their worries."

She rubbed his thigh, patting it encouragingly. "Once the war's over you can go back to weekly meetings, just use that as incentive."

He huffed like a petulant child. "I still don't want to go."

She slapped his thigh this time, not enough to leave a mark, but enough to make it momentarily sting. "Well you have to, and that's final. Come, we'll get a good breakfast in you before you do, I'm sure we still have some boar left over."

Varian lamely grabbed at her as she swung her legs out, admitting defeat once he heard the scuffle of her slippers and kicking the blankets back, starting in realisation now the subject of council had jogged his sleep fogged memory. "Did you think about what I asked last night?"

Val pulled the cuffs of her shorts down, sloppily tying her hair up. "What, about Anduin and I staying here when you go?"

He nodded, fishing his own slippers out from under the bed as he sat on the opposite edge. "Aye. I just think it'll be easier for the both of you, and it gives you more time to heal at your own pace."

Val couldn't deny it, and she had to admit it was an inviting idea. "I take it you'll send Jon and Varro down?"

Varian's eyebrow rose. "Naturally. I trust you to take care of yourself Val, you know that, but when it's both of you I'd like to put my mind at ease."

His eyebrow lowered. "So is that you agreeing to it?"

Val nodded, really only asking to mull it over to make sure that the solitude of it all was what she wanted, and after comparing it to living alone at the Keep, it was much more tantalising. "Of course. We'll come up with you to the city to get some more clothes though, I refuse to do any more laundry by hand when there's a twin tub at the Keep."

He chuckled as he pulled his linen trousers up, not really wanting to face the cold house in just his shorts. "Understandable.I would ask if you want any ladies, but something tells me you'd not be too keen."

Her grimace confirmed his theory. "As much as I like Nan, this is our little sanctuary from Keep life…and that includes servants waiting on me hand, foot and arse."

She shook her head, waiting for him by the door. "No, Jon and Varro are enough thank you, with the courier coming every couple of days."

He kissed her forehead, rubbing his hands together as they transferred themselves from their bedroom to the front room of the cottage. "My word is my bond. I'll have Lee arrange everything today so it's sorted."

She gave him a nod, getting the kettle out of the cupboard and filling it up with the pump on the far wall while he bent in front of the dead fire, intent on bringing it back to life.

"It's been nice, getting away from it all."

Varian gave her a brief smile, packing parchment between the new logs he put in. "Indeed, but it can't last forever unfortunately, so enjoy it while it does."

Esme hopped onto the table Val was setting the tea service on, meowing loudly again and making Val want to do nothing but laugh at her impatience. She outright ignored her, opening Anduin's door and poking her head in, branding herself cruel for even thinking of disturbing the boy as he slept soundly with Merlin tucked under one arm.

"Anduin?"

He was a light sleeper, the total opposite of his father, so he stirred almost immediately, turning over and going still. "Anduin, baby, you don't have to get up now, but breakfast is in fifteen, alright?"

She saw his head move in what she could only presume was a nod, and a mumbled 'Yes Mum' left her satisfied that he'd heard her, so she left the door ajar and felt the fresh warmth that a catching fire brought to the room.

"Remind me to swing for that sweep when we get back. Lazy bastard's left half a bucket of soot up there."

She spooned some tea leaves into the teapot, passing him the kettle to put on the hook above the fire and ducking for the pan their breakfast was to be cooked on.

"Varian, if you think you can do it better than by all means, put him out of a job."

She started quietly laughing to herself, opening the pantry and hunting for the small slab of boar they'd not used up at dinner yesterday. "Seeing as you're 'the man of the house'."

Varian scoffed, brushing his hands off and sliding the plate holding the hunk of meat over to himself, holding his hand out for the knife and taking it when she huffed and passed it over. "I hate that phrase and you know damn well I do, so I'll thank you never to use it again."

Val counted how many eggs were in the basket, deeming them enough and pulling them out one by one. "I don't see why, when it's absolutely true."

Varian's eyebrow rose at her. "Val, if I truly acted in the way that that sentence alludes to, you'd beat the ever loving shit out of me and stuff divorce papers up my backside, and I wouldn't blame you."

She was already laughing at the image his rather exaggerated reasoning formed in her mind's eye, cracking the eggs and taking the pan over, glad that he had thought ahead and put a three hooked pole in the fire.

"Well when you put it like that, maybe I should be giving myself the title."

Varian merely rolled his eyes, laying out slices of what was to be bacon on a separate pan and passing it over.

This was what he enjoyed most about coming here, the self sufficiency, the lack of people assuming they couldn't do anything for themselves when they were more than capable, it was deliciously intoxicating.

Really, it only made him want to come here more often than they were when he knew it wasn't possible. "I enjoy having a wife that argues with me instead of just says 'yes' to everything, that's the long and short of the matter."

He heard her snickers and realised his error far too late. "And now you're going to do it just to annoy the hells out of me, aren't you?"

Val was dissolving into a giggling mess before his eyes. "Yes."

He tossed the knife he'd been using in the bucket that acted as a basin, wiping his hands on the small towel hanging from a hook next to it. "Will you stop anytime soon?"

She had the same expression that a naughty child did when they finally found the biscuit tin. "Yes."

Varian's brows drew in. "Are you lying?"

He was carrying this on purely to see her laugh; after weeks of nothing but silence it was considered a blessing to hear mirth between them. "…Yes."

She ducked, narrowly avoiding the flying towel and finally losing all decorum, making red finger marks on her face from pressing her hand to her mouth in a vain attempt to not disturb Anduin even though they both knew he was awake.

"I swear, how I put up with you is beyond my reckoning."

Val snorted to both stem her laughter and make a point, finally giving in to the less than amused cat meowing loudly at both of them and putting the milk jug on the table. "You put up with me because you secretly love it when I'm strange, don't even deny it."

He bent to kiss her cheek as he passed her, hearing the soft thud of paws and pre-emptively opening the front door so Alice could go out, affectionately ruffling the fur between her ears before letting her go.

"I'd rather have a woman that's strange but can have fun than one who thinks that knitting is the highlight of her day."

Val would always admit that she was never sure how much of what he said was true; he'd purposely made his face hard to read over the years, so she had no choice but to take his word for it. "Good."

Of course Anduin soon appeared after his furry companion, rubbing one eye and looking rather like he'd been in high winds with his blonde locks askew in every direction. "You look like you slept well, son."

A sleepy smile was his answer, and the King had to deftly catch the boy as he slipped climbing up onto the stool by the table, helping him up and keeping his hand behind his back for a few more seconds as he wobbled.

"I hope it wasn't because you stayed up late again?"

Anduin shook his head, but Varian wasn't sure whether to believe him or not.

He left it alone simply because he knew he'd never be able to stop Anduin staying up even if he tried, choosing instead to try and smooth the boy's mane. "Mum said I had to get good sleep for today."

Varian was highly suspicious immediately, even more so at how Val was wildly gesturing at the boy to be quiet. "Why, what's going on today?"

Anduin looked over for what Varian could only presume was permission, getting a reluctant nod from Val and pausing for the yawn overtaking his little face. "Mum said Uncle Cillian's coming to Stormwind today, so I had to be good and go to sleep otherwise he wouldn't bring Tommo."

Varian's nostrils flared so quickly Val was surprised he didn't suck everything an inch forward. "Cillian? Why on Azeroth is hecoming?"

Val flipped the bacon, straightening and folding her arms. "Because I invited him. I thought with Sofia away, Anduin could use someone to play with."

Varian cursed inwardly at how sound the logic in it was. It had just been the three of them all day every day since Elliot had passed away, so he could completely understand why Anduin would be as excited as he was to see another child…even if that did mean dealing with Cillian Beaufort every day.

"I see. I hope he's not planning on staying here."

Val heard the undertones to his gripe and chose to rise above it. "They'll be staying with Gwen. Light knows she has the space right now."

Varian held her shoulder, bending to her ear. "Still no Minnie?"

Val shook her head, appreciating how he'd kept the subject of her Grammy away from Anduin. "No, not yet. I can't be dealing with her going on about 'getting on with it'."

He kissed her temple, taking the kettle off as the lid started jumping and putting it down so he could reach the tea service. "So when is he coming? If it's early enough you may as well leave with me later on."

Val did the same thing to the eggs, knowing Anduin didn't like his yolk too runny. "I have no idea, he told me he'd be coming on a cargo ship stopping from Samarkand, so it's probably best we do that anyway."

Anduin looked up at his father, nodding when Varian asked if he wanted tea. "Are you going back to the Keep today then, Father?"

Varian always had a habit of making Anduin's hot drinks three parts milk and one part tea, so paranoid was he about the lad burning himself.

If Anduin minded he didn't say anything, he merely took it from him and sipped it quietly. "Aye son, but it should only be for a few hours."

There was obvious disappointment on his face but Anduin didn't put words to it. "But not all day?"

Varian gave him a smile, spooning coffee grinds into his mug. "No, not all day."

Val snorted, bringing the eggs and bacon over. "I think someone would probably end up dead if your father had to hold a day long meeting, Little Lion."

Varian's chuckle only made Anduin's horrified look worse. "You wouldn't really kill your councillors, would you?"

Varian smirked, inhaling the steam coming from his mug and already feeling his head clear. "I've come close once or twice, I won't lie to you, son. But no, I wouldn't actually do it."

Anduin didn't look any more happy with what was meant to soothe him but left it there, kissing Val's cheek as she put his plated up breakfast in front of him and called Alice back in, grimacing as the dog came back with a dripping wet bottom half. "Oh for Light sake, you didn't jump in the lake already?!"

Varian started laughing despite the chide in Val's voice, not caring as Alice's front paws muddied his trousers when she stood up on his leg, generously ruffling her fur. "Oh leave her alone Val, she only wants to play."

Val closed the door, ducking into the washroom for a towel, sitting on the floor in front of the fire and calling her over. "And if it was Esme dripping water everywhere, you'd be having a fit."

Varian huffed, glancing at the cat as it sat on the table next to Anduin, still lapping up the milk he'd stupidly moved there. "The difference is that Alice doesn't think she's the fucking High Queen."

Val firmly rubbed the soaked dog, trying not to laugh at the licks Alice was coating her cheek with. "Can Esme swim, Mum?"

Varian answered before Val could even open her mouth, instantly making her dread what he was about to say. "I'm not sure, let's throw her in and see, shall we?"

Her brows snapped down, especially at the look of pure terror on Anduin's face as he scooped the confused tabby into his little arms. "Varian!"

He smoothed Anduin's hair in a vain attempt to soothe him. "I was jesting Anduin, come on, put the cat down and eat your breakfast."

Anduin was reluctant to, slowly unfurling his limbs and letting Esme sit back where she'd been before. "Esme's my friend, Father. You leave her alone."

Val snickered, letting Alice go now she wasn't dripping and watching her trot over to the plate of bacon Varian put on the floor for her. "Well that told you, didn't it?"

Varian leant over and kissed Anduin's head. "I've been bested by a six year old, let it be told by every bard in Azeroth."

He helped Val up, letting Anduin eat in peace and kissing her cheek. "I'm going to have a wash while the sun's still out, if that's alright with you?"

Val nodded of course, patting his arm. "Go, while there's no dog trying to play water polo. Then we'll all get dressed and go."

Varian gave her a smile, squeezing Anduin's shoulder on his way to the door. "Eat up, son, it looks like we've got another busy day ahead."

Even Stormwind itself was beginning to heal after the horrific events at the Wrathgate, Val could tell as the three of them traversed arm in arm through the streets, greeting those who did it to them first and altogether feeling more positive than they had in a long while. "Look Mum, the sweet shop's open again!"

Varian shared the same amused smile with Val at Anduin's excited trill, giving her a light nudge. "Well, it seems that our little Anduin is learning the art of subtle persuasion, Sweetheart."

Val murmured an agreement, chuckling at how Anduin was staring at the building as they went past. "It would seem so. Maybe we'll have to go after we've packed and make sure their wares are up to standard."

The high class lilt to her voice only made it harder for Varian to keep his chuckles behind his teeth, but he managed to stay in control enough to keep hold of a bouncing Prince's hand.

"Indeed, I think it a duty of the crown really, don't you?"

Anduin's head looked as if it were about to explode. "I've been so good Mum! Can we go later, with Tommo? Please?"

Varian's eyebrow rose at how adamant he was being. "Since when was it solely Mum's decision whether you get sweets or not? I'm your father, shouldn't it fall to me?"

Anduin's brows drew in. "You always say 'no'!"

Varian scoffed, actually impressing himself with how his focus could be on Anduin but his feet knew where they were going. "How do you know I won't say 'yes' this time?"

Anduin has childish exasperation written all over his face. "Father, can we get sweets?"

Varian gave him the straightest look he could and didn't miss a single beat before replying with a stern sounding "No."

Anduin's loud groan was only matched by Val's laugh, for the creases around Varian's lips and eyes told her that he was having the boy on, and apparently it was working. "MUM! Tell him!"

Val snorted into her glove, making Varian's own chuckles even stronger. "Tell him what?! His word is final Little Lion, I can't do anything about it."

Varian slid his arm from Val's and lifted a sulking Anduin by his armpits and onto his hip, pinching both of his cheeks between a thumb and forefinger. "Oh don't mope so, son, I'm only playing. Of course you've been good enough for sweets, but you'll have to wait until later, alright? Your Mum and I have a few things we need to get out of the way before the day is ours, unfortunately."

Anduin played with Varian's chain as he always did, rubbing a small thumb over the large, round, sapphire in the middle. "Council again?"

The guilt was obvious in Varian's eyes and it only made Val's arm tighten around his. "Aye, son, council again. But it shouldn't take long."

Anduin's nose wrinkled but his gaze stayed on the stones embedded in the thick silver. "It always takes long."

Varian gave him a squeeze, holding his chin with his hand when Val let go. "You know why I'm going though, don't you? It's definitely not for the fun of it, I can assure you."

Anduin gave him a pensive smile. "I know, it's your duty."

His brow furrowed in an instant. "I just wish you didn't have to do your duty every single day."

Varian apparently shared his sentiments, chuckling quietly. "It's one of the many cons of being a King, Anduin, one day you'll realise that and become as miserably bored as I do."

He put him down, taking one of his hands and letting Val take the other. "Which is why, as your utterly jealous King, I command you to have the most fun you can today, do you think you can do that?"

Anduin started bouncing again, bringing a smile to the faces of both adults. "I can do that easily Father, don't you worry!"

Varian wagged a finger at him, straightening his brow in mild seriousness. "But that doesn'tmean you play up for your Mum, do you hear me? I catch even a whisperof you misbehaving Anduin, I'll make sure you come to council with me every day where I can see you, understand?"

Anduin of course nodded in response, giving his Father the biggest, most innocent looking eyes he could manage to muster. "Understood, Father."

The little blonde looked around at the sound of his name, finding a group of children that Varian was sure lived at the orphanage calling him over to play with the jacks sitting between them.

Varian saw the hesitation on his face, gently pulling his hand. "You can go play if you'd like, son. We'll wait."

Anduin still didn't look sure. "But you'll be late."

Val patted his shoulder, bending behind him. "How about you say goodbye to your father now, and I'll stay while he goes and tells Varro and Jon to meet us here?"

Varian appreciated her quick thinking, it meant both of them were seeing how his son clearly wanted to go over to other children and play and didn't want to hinder him the chance to interact with those his own age; Varian knew the isolation that being a young royal brought with it, and wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not his own boy.

"But we need to go to the Keep, don't we Mum?"

Val brushed his hair back, gently pushing him forward. "We have all the time in the world. Go on, go and play."

Anduin's genuinely ecstatic grin said it all, and after throwing his arms around a bent Varian's neck and landing a wet, joyful kiss on his cheek he scurried away, giving Varian an enthusiastic wave as he plonked himself down in the little circle the group had formed.

"He looks almost like a normal child, sitting there, doesn't he?"

Varian slowly nodded, not taking his eyes from Anduin, merely watching him enjoy life and feeling utterly jealous of it. "Aye…he does. I just hope he understands that it can't always be like this."

Val took his hand and weaved her fingers with his, knowing exactly what he meant. "He's a smart boy, Varian. Hells, he knows what duty is already when at his age I didn't even know what a King did apart from sit on a throne all day and chop peoples' heads off."

He knew she was right, but there was a niggling feeling at the back of his mind that he just couldn't shake. "Do you think he knows too much then?"

Val's head tilted as she too watched the boy, trying to see any hint of the same weariness his father held and finding none. "Not yet, but we can't keep him safe from the world forever Varian."

His lip started to curl. "I can damn well try for a little while longer. We had childhoods we can look back on with happiness, why can't he have the same thing?"

She kissed his arm, leaning her head on it. "The world's changing Varian, and we all have to change with it, even those who don't have a choice in the matter."

Varian sighed, bending down and catching her lips. "I'll have Jon and Varro meet you here, as you suggested. I don't know how long I'll be."

Val gave him a smile despite the defeated tone to his voice, letting him take her other hand. "I'll have someone tell you where we are."

Varian nodded in appreciation, squeezing her fingers and clearing his throat, pointing over to Anduin. "Don't let him eat too many sweets, I don't care whether his cousin's here or not, you're not to indulge him too much."

His finger turned to her, but she could see the faintest of smiles pulling at the corners of his lips. "And that goes for you as well."

He finally chuckled as her palm hit his bicep, waving over to Anduin as he finally left them, with Val watching him blend in with the crowd like an Orc among Elves, standing a head above most and with squared shoulders and a straight back, always on high alert even when the day didn't call for it.

She knew that it ate at him, the fact that Anduin's childhood had been so different than theirs so far, but it was simply the way things were and the sooner they both accepted it, the better Val reckoned they would be.

She pulled her watch from the pocket of her breeches, popping it open and checking against the cathedral clock that it was telling the truth.

She shoved it back in, deciding that Cillian wouldn't hate her if she wasn't waiting there for him and just let Anduin play while he had the chance.