Mother Rennala had felt so very frail in his arms. He'd forgotten the panicked feeling that had taken him when they'd first freed her from the grand library. Forgotten how this woman, powerful and cunning and terrifying, had felt so very frail. Ranni was almost a twin in stature to her mother, so Owain knew what a woman of that height and frame should feel like. Had he been too wrapped up in his own trials to see that the queen had not been eating enough? What incompetence! How could he be so negligent?

He lightly tapped Friso with the tip of his sparring blade. "Tristan!" the sentinel sprang to his feet from his place leant against the training ground wall. Owain sighed, furious at himself and unable to cut off his brooding. Ranni, Sellen, Lady Lansseax, and Tricia, were currently working at all hours of the day to devise a way to properly transfer Rykard's soul to a new body. The graven witch had explained that there were…complications. The magical jargon she had used had flown right above Owain's head, but his wife had been deathly pale.

Now a full three days hence, Mother Rennala had yet to wake, Tanith was oscillating between full blown panic and spinning euphoria, and Rykard was no closer to possessing physical form. All Owain could do was wait, and sitting on his hands like this was tortuous! Looking to distract himself, he'd begun evacuations of all of mount Gelmir to Caria, with many being sent to Stormveil as well. This mountain was no longer a place he wished any citizens to live, too torn and tarnished by serpent and war. Both had long befouled the very soil itself.

Tristan loosed a surprised yell as his practice blade jabbed Owain in the ribs. Hah! Good! "Excellent! No guard duties for a fortnight, sergeant. A mighty blow!"

The sentinel, as well as all his brothers, were mute. Why did they gawp at Owain like fish? He was no god, he could be bested, "Th-thank you, highlord! You honor me with your praise!" The commander nodded, waving in the next knight. He wished Oswald were here.

A curious thing, this third rune. It bayed just as loudly as the others, tore just as viciously but, by the light of his goddess, Owain could sleep again! He of course worried for his queen, worried for a great many things, but to be able to rest peacefully once more after so many weeks was a healing magic of the highest potency. He'd stopped being quite so irritable, and the servants had at last stopped pestering him to repose at every opportunity.

The eyes of his patient and pretty wife, though marred with stress for her family, were no longer haggard. The last three nights had certainly been a mix of ill and good, but to see his beloved sleep well was tonic enough to keep him calm. That, and the constant drills he was putting his knights through. Owain endeavored to keep their minds from dwelling upon the horrors below, he knew well how such evil lingered upon one's heart.

That evening, as he had the three evenings preceding it, he found himself alone. Ranni had shooed him out of the drawing room she and the others requisitioned as their base of operations. Owain had been sent away with a rushed kiss and warning eyes, and he was a man who knew when not to trifle his wife.

As he'd done most all his life when he could not remain at her side, he watched the stars, their cold light a comfort. The stone bench he reclined on, arms thrown about the back and head leant to the wall behind, was cold and uncomfortable. It was just the discomfort he craved as one who needed to work though tumultuous thoughts.

He would make for the capital soon. There were a great many things he must tend to in Caria before but, still, he would set his path unto the golden city within a moon. The idea of it thrilled his heart but set great weight upon his mind. When he had first risen, nigh all the lands he'd once protected were in shambling ruin, stale shadows of former glory. He was sure even the bastion of the great tree was no different. Not if Morgott's miserable eyes held truth, not if Reginald's nervous reports were to be trusted. No, Owain knew what awaited him.

He sighed, watching his misting breath listlessly. Winter heralded higher heights of suffering for an already long-suffered people if Owain did not hurry their preparations. There was just…so much that need be tended to. The ever present ache that was the knowledge of his agonized queen lingered in his chest. To say nothing of what he knew of the fates of her children that he had yet to set right. His poor Mohg…he scowled at the soft stars, he must put the heirs aside for the moment. The queen must be seen to first.

Slow movement by the archway that led to his quarters had Owain snapping his gaze to the right. His lady Melina's startled face peeked at him. "Have you need of me, my princess?" he asked softly.

"It is foolish but…." He knew that face, knew too why she held blanket and pillow.

"Another nightmare?" she nodded shyly, eyes downcast, "Come, child." Owain patted the space beside him.

She padded silently to the bench, dithering for a moment before laying down the blanket and curling to her side, head in his lap. He wrapped the rest of the thick covering over her with a chuckle, "More memories return." Melina murmured, eyes closed.

The sentinel hummed, what great joy this was, to hold this child in safety once more, "And they bring you sorrow?" His ever oafish hands were gentle and precise as they made soft rows upon her auburn hair.

"Some, but not all." his chest twinged in sadness as she paused, she should know only joyous things, "I recall now the very first of all my recollections." she turned her face, gracing him with a small smile.

"By your expression, I would hope it is a pleasant one."

"It is not entirely pleasant, but it is precious, nonetheless." the princess cracked an eye, "I was a child of but perhaps three. When we journeyed to the Altus lakeside villa."

Owain groaned, covering his face with a hand. Of course she would recall this, "Ah, one of the greatest of my failures. The queen-" he should not have been surprised when the memory stole his breath, but still, he was.

It was not needed, but Owain was nothing if not overcautious. So it was he found himself rising from his bed to check once more upon the princess. Melina was just such a sickly little girl, he could not help himself. It did not ease his worries that the eternal one had decreed they would travel in disguise, despite his many days of vehement arguing. He'd only been able to bring four sentinels! Wolfram tended to Prince Messmer, Oswald to the queen, Aldo patrolled the outer grounds, Friso patrolled the villa interior. Owain would have slept against his queen's door, but she had ordered him to rest in a bed, overruling his insistence.

Owain padded silently through the dark halls of the villa, it'd been some time since the queen had last requested such an outing, but he still remembered the layout well. He only hoped this spontaneous trip was a sign of his lady's continuing trend of finding joy. The short years since Melina's birth had seen some spark of the earnest and easy happiness she had once shown. He smiled at himself. The princess and her nursemaids were quartered not far from the her mother, he need only cross a small stair.

Just as he went to push the door to her chambers open, he heard a voice, soft and murmuring, sickly sweet. "-ologies princess, but your foul little flame can not be allowed to flicker freely." Something was not right. He smashed the heavy wooden doors from their hinges, casting frantic eyes about the room.

The nursemaid was standing above the sleeping child, knife aloft! Owain blitzed forward with frenzied speed, gripping the woman's spine and flinging her into the wall with enough wrathful force that she splattered in slick viscera. Traitors? Within the household? Where was the other-

The silver tip of a broadsword burst forth from his chest, an explosion of pain soon following. One of the blades from above the mantlepiece? Curse his recklessness! She had missed his heart, how-sloppy. The second of the nursemaid's heads erupted into gore as he spun with a clumsy backhand. There was no time! He wheezed a snarl at the blade imbedded in his chest, snapping off what he could take hold of. His breath would not come to him, his sight was darkening. He had not even the strength to shout for Friso, but he must see the princess to safety! "-ain, ouchie?" she reached up to him with stubby arms.

Owain scooped her up, disgusted that his blood would ever touch the skin of a golden princess. "Ouchie," he whispered harshly in confirmation.

The small villa was coming to life, the shouts of servants and Oswald's bellowed commands sounding strangely echoed to Owain's ears as he barreled out of the princess' quarters. Friso rushed to his shoulder, "My lord! What-"

He shoved passed his panicked captain, still forcing a bumbling sprint to the queen's quarters. "Traitors! Prince!" He barked out, coughing blood away from the now sobbing child in his arms. He could not truly see, his vision flickering oddly, but he knew the path.

A lithe figure, clad in a nightgown, burst from the queen's chambers, eyes wild and knife in hand. Alecto. Safe. Owain stumbled forth pushing from the wall to stagger through the queen's doorway, heedless of the hand-maiden's frantic questions. The queen was sitting up in bed, though, why was she looking at him like that? "My-ady, safe?" He rasped, breath rattling and burbling in hitching gasps. Alecto took little Melina from his arms, a good thing, as he could no longer feel them.

"Owain!" his queen screamed as she rushed from bed. Fury? Fear?

"Such…shame." He bowed his head, this lapse could not be forgiven. Ah, he'd collapsed to his knees.

Through dimming eyes, he saw her fly to his front, catching him before he could make even more of a fool of himself by falling on his face. Through muffled, ringing, ears he heard her roar at Alecto to remove the sword in his back. He feared it was…too late. Death came…claim.

"Dost thou so wish to be free of thy service?" A voice, soft and sacred, sounded in the dark.

Owain groaned, blearily opening his eyes. His queen's golden gaze bore into him, was he…she held his head in her lap, leant against the baseboard of her bed. What sacrilege! He could not let his lady continue to sully herself, though he could not seem to will any movement to his laggardly limbs. Holy magic, he was sure.

"The traitors?" He rasped, needing to know if all was well.

She patted his cheek, he scowled as he saw his own lowly blood stained her hand, "Dead. Oswald tends the door."

"Children?" Owain wished she would allow him up, that his ignoble self not profane his goddess any further.

"Alecto and Wolfram." she said softly.

Lo, he even wept before her, what a wretch he was, "I can not dare ask forgiveness." He must leave the golden house, such ineptitude as this must be punished.

"Yet, thou'rt given it freely." her smile was too kind as she thumbed away his tears.

"I am-" he swallowed thickly, "I am undeserving of your grace, my queen."

The queen frowned at him, "Thou wouldst question my judgment?"

"I…I would not." he looked away, too searing were her eyes.

His lady forced his gaze once more to her with a chiding hand, "Thou shalt always be grace-given, my faithful companion, mine brightly burnished compass." Why was her whisper so fervent? He did not deserve the passion.

To allow such foes within this house he safeguarded, it was heresy! Why did she ever overlook his blunders? Ever was he given clemency when he should instead be rebuked! "I have fai-"

His queen stilled his tongue with a warning glare, "Thou hast not. Mine daughter, mine son, they art safe, aye?"

Owain knew when to stop pushing, she would grow angry if he did not agree, "Aye."

Queen Marika nodded, "Tell me, Wain. Is the distribution of servants thy purview?"

He sighed, already knowing what she implied, "It is not." Her seneschal, Kuno, would likely face grave punishment when they returned to the palace.

"Yet, thou wouldst claim the burden of this fault?" Again would he pardoned for a failure that would see others banished from her side, again would he be shown grace undeserved.

He grit his teeth, "I am bested, my lady."

She chuckled dryly, wiping the last of the salt from his face, "Thou shouldst yet be used to it, my friend."

He blinked away the image of his queen's face. Melina looking at him patiently "Are you returned, Wain?"

He did not speak for a long breath, emotion too high, "Aye." he muttered, his head meeting the stone of the wall as he turned his gaze to the stars, "Why is such a night precious to you? I hope you come to recall more moments of joy, rather than of strife."

"My mother slept with Messmer and I beside her. The first of few such nights, precious nights."

Ah, he remembered now. He'd slept in an armchair, insistent that he not leave the queen's side. She and Alecto had placed Prince and Princess betwixt them, the eternal one had even told her children a few bedtime tales. The princess was right, that was…that was a precious memory indeed.

His hand began its soft rows anew, "Aye, little one. A good memory to hold dear."

He and his lady exchanged stories for a while more before he realized she'd fallen asleep. True night had crept upon him as he studied his charge's peaceful silhouette. So young was she when she had been stolen from the palace, hardly sixty. The loss had shaken him more than any other. Never had the golden rampart failed so spectacularly to protect one of Marika's children.

The queen had not let him from her side for many moons, he'd even slept in his armor, propped up in the corner of her bedchamber. His sentinels had felt the full brunt of his wrath, he'd bade them search every part of the capitol. Nowhere had been left unturned, tens of thousands of his men had torn apart the golden city for frantic days unending only to find no trace of the youngest princess.

Many of the nobles had called for his execution, especially as he'd had their estates so thoroughly investigated. Thousands of complaints had flooded the palace but the queen had been deaf to them all, allowing him leave to seek out her daughter with all the desperate fury he could muster. All for naught, as he'd found nothing.

Melina's soft snores made him weep quietly. She was returned, she was safe, protected once more under the shadow of his shield. No harm would he allow to these precious children of gold, never.

"What's this? A sentinel, caught off his guard?" Owain's eyes snapped open. Ranni's smirking face was all that stopped him from bursting into motion.

"You know better than to startle me." he grumbled. The hand that was not resting atop Melina's shoulder found his wife's face regardless of his intention to scold her.

She bit his thumb with a chuckle, " I couldst hardly let thee sleep out here atop a stone bench, husband. Put my sister to bed, I've grand news." Ranni straightened, floating her younger sibling into Owain's waiting arms.

If her good mood was any indication, he thought they might have had a breakthrough with Rykard's condition. "A moment then." he said, but she was already floating off to their washroom.

Owain tucked the girl in beside a sleeping Theorlina swiftly, the many sentinels that lined the whole of the hallway saluting him silently. As he returned to he and Ranni's quarters, he was greeted by his beloved's song. He realized she must have placed a spell of silence upon their chambers. Owain grinned, why did he dally so? She was already in the bath! He shucked off his own clothes before bumbling into the washroom. Ranni peeked at him mischievously over her shoulder, her long hair piled atop her head messily. "And just where dost thou think thou'rt going?"

"To your side." he smiled, "Or rather, to your rear."

Her sonorous laughter as she halted him just out of reach made him smile even broader. "I am quite busy, husband. Who is to say I've the time for thine jokes?" She dipped playfully out of reach from his grasping hands, spinning him about in the air.

"I am to say! I miss you, Starlight." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, now upside down. "That you keep me from you, my heart can not bear it."

"Well, we can not have that, can we?" gentle fingers clasped his face, her thumbs running the length of his jaw as she kissed him sweetly, "It is fortunate for thee that I requirest aid in mine washin'." she floated him once more upright, landing him just behind her.

He swept a hand around her ribs, planting it on the plane of her midriff, that he might pull her close, "Oh aye, fortunate indeed." he tilted her chin up with delicate touch, pressing a line of slow kisses along her neck and jaw, "Be not afeard, I'll be quite thorough." The little gasp she made as he captured her ear betwixt his teeth delighted him. When last had they made such merriment? Not for some weeks, he realized, unusual for them.

His breath hitched as she caught him with dangerous nails, "I am sure thou shalt be, brute of mine." Owain laughed brightly as she toppled him gently to his back. His princess slowly levitated to sit astride his hips, the water of the bath spilling precariously over the rim. She was far too prideful to let him toy with her overlong.

As her slender fingers raked slow lines down his chest, he lay his head back against the basin's edge. Her eyes were so ashine with adoration, his heart ached, "I must admit, it was not only to assist you that I have come." His hands crept up her hips.

His princess looked down her nose at him, "Thou'rt too forthright for subterfuge, sentinel. I knewest plain thy lecherous heart as soon as I beheld thine covetous eyes." she tutted, brushing his hair from his face.

"And would you let these brazen eyes of mine have their way?" Owain at last dared to place his grip upon her breasts, grinning wickedly as a heavy flush tinged her pale skin.

"Oh a-aye, I would." they shared shuddering breaths as she settled him within her.

Her movements were slow, unrushed, "How magnanimous of you, my lady." his voice was as soft a growl as he could make it. Ranni's eyes flashed in annoyance as he chuckled.

"Such an insolent mouth, such insolent h-hands." she clasped his palm tighter to her breast, halting his kneading tease.

Into her free palm he pressed lingering kisses, eyes locked to hers as he matched her pace, "Do not name me insolent, beloved Starlight, but brave." Truly, after passing through such dark strife, he felt so hopeful, so light!

Even her snarl of indignance was haughty, her teeth flashed in the low candle light as she bared them at him, "And foolish! Foolish in the face of…great danger." It was a rare thing that she let him taunt her so long, he was having a wonderful time.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, she gripped him firm by the nape, eyes unwavering from his own, "There are few so mighty as my wife, few so foolish as I." he agreed, smiling at her whimpers.

"Luckful art thou, courageous one. That I allow thee to p-posses me so." She was growing impatient, her tempo rising as she braced a hand against his chest.

Ranni was so magnificent when she preened thusly, "Oh, aye. Luckful." Owain did not believe he'd ever seen anything as beautiful in his entire life. This woman in stuttering disarray surely had no equal and no better, there was no man bolstered by such luck as he.

His time for teasing had plainly run out, her cobalt eyes were a gathering storm, "W-wain." she gasped. Ranni snatched up his hands to place them around her slim throat, scalding glower warning of coming wrath, "Enough of this feathery nonsense. Thou holdst the strength of a god, use it well! Take-takest me properly, husband." her breathless command sacrosanct.

That she trusted these hands that had wrought such uncounted death to hold her safe made his chest bloom with love anew. He'd pushed his luck far enough, he knew he now need give her what she demanded. "Anything for you, my brightest shining star." He was glad of the spell of silence, his wife was delightedly vociferous during their love making.

It was not until Ranni's head lay upon his chest, her frosty toes deposited beneath his legs, that he recalled she had news to share. He kissed her hair, "Wife, what news did you bear?"

"I shall set Rykard as right as I am able on the morrow. A hopeful plan have we four made." she spoke into his throat, too lazy to lift her head.

"Joyous news! Our future is bright, Ranni." He expected her to make one of her usual cautious statements, but she instead rallied herself, pushing up off her chest.

Her eyes, only recently closed to sleep, were now electric, "I see it clear, Wain. Treacherous hope sparks and flames in me! This Sunbeam in mine arms and the light that I catch from him, oh my dear, it is so bright." she whispered excitedly.

A slow smile grew across his cheeks, this optimism was unexpected but most welcome, "How does it feel, darling? The rays of sun."

"Warm and soothing upon my dark heart. Like I am very much in love." her fingers were light upon his chest but he was sure she could feel his heart pound at her words.

"As am I, Starlight." Owain met her stare, hoping every ounce of his devotion shone clear.

"Wain." Such longing did she hold in the way she spoke his name, it sounded as the most blazing of siren song. She kissed him with fire enough to clear all fog of tiredness from him.

"A-Aye?" his witch flustered him when he least expected it.

She looked away for a moment, mustering herself, "It is time, let us beget a child." Owain blinked stupidly at his wife for a long moment. Had she truly said what he thought she had?