Echoes of a Memory (Mature)

Lathai returned to them shortly, setting Emilyn down and retrieving his son to dress him as well. "I don't know," he chimed in as his sister tried to calm Aelwynn, "It could not have been anything major. They literally started doing this today, and nothing has changed overnight."

"Seler," Mairi said, smiling up at the woman as she knelt. "All is well, do not fret. You have a talented, though yes unusual, family. Please," her eyes pled with the woman as she tried to hold back her own sorrow. "Just be happy and proud of them. Not all are blessed with such a wonderful... Family." The last word came out choked and her pale green eyes closed as she tried to regain control of herself. Though she was emotional by nature, she had worked for years to reign it in. Her ability to do so was what kept her in good terms with the court, despite her unorthodox marriage.

Aelwynn smiled to Mairi, "I apologize. I worry far too much over them. I do not wish to cause distress."

Emilyn laid on her belly, waving her arms and legs in a swimming motion, still working up to crawling.

Hikaru draped an arm around Mairi's shoulder, attempting to comfort her.

She looked at him with sad eyes, feeling like a part of her soul was missing. Everyone she was willing to  be vulnerable in front of was in this room. She couldn't drop her facade around her mother. The woman's natural distress would not allow her to handle it, and she had consistently refused healing. "I understand." She told her sister-in-law, eyes still focused on Hikaru, holding her steady, "But you have nothing to fear."

Lathai set little Raden down beside his sister, smiling at the squirming pair. "It is probably just their minds and souls. Physically, they are no different from normal children."

Aelwynn smiled, resting her head in the crook of Lathai's neck, the warmth of his ski and touch a sort of emotional healing for her as much as any physical healer could give. She worried for them often. Every cry, she immediately thought of the worst that could happen. Every bump, scrape or bruise she would instinctively heal. She knew that her fretting was unwarranted, but it seemed to occur nonetheless.

Raden turned on his belly to face his sister, patting the ground in front of her and babbling incoherently, seemingly trying to mimic her speech earlier. Emilyn remained silent, fingers in her mouth.

Hikaru smiled. "Perhaps a nice walk through the gardens will put everyone's minds at ease, hmm?"

Lathai smiled, nodding, and whistled for Aoi, who came without hesitation. "Would you come with us?" He nuzzled as wife as he spoke, sneaking a kiss in. Their dragon was as much a guard dog as a messenger. The reptile offered its equivalent to a smile, teasing the twins with the numb end of its tail as it did so.

"I would like that." Mairi answered, looking to her brother meaningfully, silently telling him that she had something to ask him about.

Aelwynn smiled, "Some fresh air would be wonderful."
Hikaru smiled, "Excellent!" He took Mairi's hand and kissed it, his lips mouthing an 'I-love-you' in draconic.

Raden patted his sister, trying to get her to speak for him again. Emilyn paid little mind to him, seeminly determined to crawl before the day was over.

Mairi blushed, nuzzling her beloved and kissing his cheek gently, suddenly seeming to be beaming. Lathai meanwhile lifted each of his kids, smiling at them and holding his family, Aoi wrapping herselfaround  them to join the embrace. He laughed, leading them all out the door, chatting away absently about their day-to-day lives.

Aelwynn smiled happily at her little family. She had no one in her life before she had met him. Simply herself and her god. She had fallen headlong in love with him, despite the overwhelming presence of the Marcher Lords. He had been the only thing steady for her during those years. Even though they were only a couple for part of it. When they had come to Tochigi and reunited with their people, the Lords had still been the most pressing concern. When they had finally been defeated, for a long while it seemed that settling into a more domestic life was impossible. She had always lived in the church and finding herself without a war to fight left her restless. Lathai had made the transition feel seamless. Before long, they had decided to start a family of their own. Her heritage made for a surprise during the pregnancy, as well as the attacks from the drow. But, she and t he twins all three made it out, which was especially fortunate for an elven pregnancy. She had her family, her name, and even friends among the elves and dragon-kin alike. She hadn't fought since having the twins, and in many respects, she was glad for that. She instinctively rested her head on his shoulder a bit as they walked, mainly listening and admiring the beautiful plants and birds flitting overhead.

Emilyn seemed torn between watching the birds and keeping her eyes glued to her father. She held tightly onto his ear, watching the birds for a moment before her eyes went back to her father once more.

Raden babbled nonstop, scarcely breathing, doing everything he could to keep attention on him.

Hikaru kept Mairi in his arm, smiling warmly as he kept his eyes locked on hers.

Lathai smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head and laughing at their twins. It was impossible to try to go without paying attention to one or the other, with Emilyn demanding his attention and Raden demanding attention in general. But life was at peace here, where everything around them breathed harmony and tranquility. Their pet was a dragon, raised on the side of the gods, their children were twin prodigees, and they themselves were warriors retired from the hardships of battle. Everyday was a blessing, feeling more like a neverending vacation than the life he knew they had fought for and earned, and he savored every moment of it.

Mairi smiled at him, still adjusting to his more public displays of affection. Due to his culture, he had always been the more shy type, and for him to so much as look at her the way he did sent an especially pleasurable chill down her spine. It was nothing sexual, no they were far too professional to take that sort of behavior anywhere outside the bedroom, but it was the type of reaction that made her feel giddy and like the hyper child she had been when first meeting Aelwynn. All was right, save the one detail she had been struggling with since the start of their marriage. It tore her apart, but she was unwilling to let abyone trully see the full extent of the scars and wounds it left her with. She could do without children, this she knew, but even with their own dragon, niece, and nephew, she did not feel completely whole. Customs and genetics be damned, the thought of not bearing her own children, especially with the man she loved so deeply it rocked her to her core, was simply maddening. A piece of her heart would always be lost and dead until the time came that she had that blessing. Until then, however, she was happy where she was, if not wholly satisfied.

Aelwynn smiled, taking Radin to give Lathai's ear a break. "So, Hikaru, how are the courts holding up?"

He rolled his eyes, "Oh they're as stubborn as ever. So unwilling to change...." He chuckled, nudging Mairi a bit, "She's had more luck with them in five years than I've had in five centuries."

Lathai chuckled, "The silver-tongued lizard has been beat out by my little sister? Tsk, tsk, Hikaru, you appear to have lost your touch."

Mairi just blushed, looking down for a moment before smiling and winking at them. "Some things just require a woman's touch. Something a bit more... Delicate, you might say."

Her brother laughed aloud, shaking his head. "You are many things, Em'mi, but delicate is not one of them."

Hikaru blushed and shrugged, "She has a way with them. However, she could not have bewitched them quite so as she has me." he smiled to Mairi, a bit of a blush still in his cheeks.

She went red, allowing her hair to fall forward. "I learned. I know not what else to say. They respect me, and I think they value the outside and yet personal opinion."

Lathai chuckled, nuzzling Aelwynn as they spoke, smiling to himself.

Hikaru smiled, pushing her hair back, "Or they recognize that you're absolutely brilliant."

Aelwynn smiled, leaning on his shoulder as the pair flirted. Raden waved at a passing butterfly, as Emilyn watched, enraptured.

She looked away from him, still unaccustomed to the PDA from her beloved. "You flatter me, Hikaru."

Lathai smiled at his little family, still in shock at their development and yet calm. Things would never be normal for them, he had known this from the start, but it was nonetheless strange.

Hikaru kissed her cheek, "Such is my duty. I am to make you aware of how stunning you are daily, else I suffer the wrath of the ancestors for my neglegence." he chuckled.

Aelwynn brushed Raden's hair off his brow, the little whisps of white rested on his head like a crown of clouds. He reached to grab the butterfly, accidentally casting a bit of lightning. The creature made a small "poof" sound and ashes exploded into a little cloud. Emilyn stuck out her lower lip in a pout, and made a face like she was going to cry.

She laughed, shaking her head before looking up at him. "Somehow I doubt your ancestors entirely approve of me, melamin."

Lathai's eyes widened and he looked between the two, unsure what to do. Swallowing hard, he turned Emilyn so that her head rested on his chest as he bounced and shushed her, trying to reassure her that all was well.

He chuckled, "Then they can shove it up their etherial asses."

Aelwynn cast him a glare as a warning not to curse in front of the children. She pulled Raden's hand down, "Raden, be careful."

Emilyn buried her face in her father's kimono, trying not to look at the settling cloud of butterfly ashes.

Mairi almost snorted, covering her mouth as she laughed at him and Aelwynn's scolding of him. "I definitely do not believe they respect that, 'Karu."

"Shhhhh," Lathai murmured, shielding her eyes and ignoring the others completely.

Hikaru shrugged, "Then they can take it up with me in the Beyond." he smiled casually.

Aelwynn smiled as they exited the gardens and came into the market at the center of the village. It was odd seeing so many of her people in one place after being alone for so long, but it warmed her heart nonetheless.

She shook her head, more comfortable now amongst her own people, and kissed him tenderly. "Si itov wux." (I love you) She whispered, nuzzling against the scales of his face.


Lathai was not even paying attention, bouncing his little girl and speaking to her softly, knowing not that she understood him.


Ooc: http://draconic.twilightrealm.com/

Hikaru blushed, "Si itov wux."

The young priest of the new temple being constructed ran over to Aelwynn, "Oh, thank the gods you're here."

Aelwynn seemed confused, "What's the matter, brother?"

He blushed deeply, "I... uh... I was asked to consecrate the ground for the new shrine and uhm... I am not exactly sure how."

She smirked, sliding her slender index finger up his torso, "Re wux driarkir, sia tilsin itov?" (Are you blushing, my lizard love?) 


Lathai looked up, chuckling, and took Raden into his free arm. "Go on, a'maelamin. I have the children." He kissed her cheek, smiling wide.

Aelwynn smiled, "I won't be too long." She followed after the priest, leaving the twins, Lathai, Mairi and Hikaru alone in the market.

Hikaru blushed deeply, unsure of how to respond not only in front of her brother, but the rest of the elves.

Lathai was still ignoring them, but he bowed his head and proceeded over to a bench beside one of the stalls so that he could better hold the both of them, knowing that Raden would rather sit on his own than be on his lap.

Her eyes darted to her brother before she looked back at him, a smirk on her face. Mairi stepped in front of him, her smirk widening, clearly enjoying flustering her husband. "Re wux tesantamaso?" (Are you afraid?)