Finishing Touches

You roll back and forth a few times as you stir yourself awake. It's at that point your eyes open up and you realize that it's probably time to wake up as it's most likely the next morning, which means it's the morning that you will begin to march south towards Rathkin. You carefully move Lexie's arm which is laid across your chest and then you move down towards the foot of the bed and get yourself out of it.

It isn't long before you stand up, look behind you and see your wife laying on her side with her arm wrapped around a pillow and cuddling with it. You couldn't help but smile as her body is involuntarily doing that because she most likely thinks you are the pillow and she wants to snuggle and hold onto you while she sleeps.

With another smile you walk towards the table in your room and reach down to grip a goblet which is full of water. With a giant gulp you swallow that refreshing liquid and then look upon the room. To the side you see your sabre-toothed armor on a mannequin and it looks in pristine condition. If you see Rivianne before you leave, you'll have to thank her for her job well done, but for the time being, you should dress up and get ready to go.

Your trousers go on first and shortly after you tie them up to make sure they are nice and tug. You work with quickness to get the upper garments on in what feels like record time. It isn't long before the entire armor set is on your body and you are looking absolutely amazing and ready for the march. The light leather armor with all the fur and fangs allow you to move with such quickness but also offers you much protection and you are grateful to have someone like Rivianne who can make such top quality armors and weapons. It also means if you any enemies ever get a glimpse of you, hopefully they will be scared from the sight of you and that will cause them to drop their focus and make them easier targets to fight and kill.

Soon after as you're rummaging around in the dresser, you reach down towards your pouch you always carry by your waist and as you open it up and reach inside your fingers come across the dull edge of a piece of paper, "There you are..." you smile out as you remember what was hidden away. That folded piece of paper, crease after crease you start to unfold it, a certain letter you were going to read as you want to experience it one more time.

Claire's note she wrote to you incase she didn't return from the war with Rathkin. You read it over again and the entire time emotions ran through out your body. She did her best, she tried everything and eventually she got caught. The worst part was you infiltrated the Rathkin castle and saved her, only to get to the very edge of the border and get surrounded and killed. You hated Rixx for what he did, for the person he killed and you promised your sister that no matter what, you would get your revenge.

Soon after you folded the piece of paper up and placed it into the pouch on your waist, the very same pouch which holds your most prized possession, that flat pressed purple tulip. There were many things in this world you cherished but no matter what, those dehydrated flower petals would always be your number one.

That letter was the last piece of Claire you ever had, her last thoughts that you got to read and it was something that was truly emotional for you. It was a great idea, something you needed to do for Lexie as well incase something happens. With that, you decide to write a letter just in case you don't make it back alive. With a tear forming in your eye, you hope you'd come back alive, strong and continue your life but truthfully, just as Claire thought, if you don't make it back, having some final words would hopefully grant that person the strength to continue and the closure they need.

Lexie,

If you are reading this letter it means I did not make it back from the war between our beloved Syndicate and the Rathkin Empire. As I sit here and look at your sleeping body, your peaceful being and your perfect soul, tears form in my eyes as I see the most amazing, wonderful and caring person that this world has created.

You were the first woman to greet me into the Syndicate, the first human to show me around and the first person to truly drop everything to take care of me. If it wasn't for you, I don't think...no, I know I wouldn't be the person who I became today. You truly sculpted me to become the man I am and for that I will always be grateful for you.

What bothers me the most is not being able to live my life with you and our child. I want to see him or her, I want to raise them the best I can and it pains me to know that there is a possibility I won't be coming home and I'll be leaving you and our child all alone. If this happens, I have no doubt in my mind that our child is going to turn out perfect especially since they will have you there by their side.

No matter what happens in the oncoming war, remember this, I love you with all my heart and I wish nothing but the best for you. As I got lost in the darkness, you were always there to light my way back home. When I wanted to fight and lose all control, you where there to calm that rage and when I couldn't see any end to the madness, you were there to restore that balance. I hope you know that, how much you truly mean to me and how much of an effect you had on my life.

Lexie, I love you so much! As I write this letter, tears are rolling down my cheeks because as I have hope of returning safely to your arms, a part of me still fears the worst. It pains me to even think about writing something like this but, as you said, it's war and you never know what will happen.

So with that, stay strong, give our child a kiss for me and hope for a girl or else you'll have another dirty Queen Fucker on your hands!

I love you, Lexie,
My wife, My love, my light in the darkness.
Forever and ever,
Darien

As a tear rolls down your cheek you hold the piece of paper to your heart, caressing it slightly before you bring it back and begin to fold it four times in half to make it a small square-like structure. "I love you, Lexie..." you whisper out to yourself as you once more look at your sleeping beauty. You write her name on the letter and then with one more smile at the piece of paper, you bury it in the dresser under your clothes. You know, if you don't make it back alive, Lexie will be the one who will go through your chambers so you know she will find this.

With everything now good to go, you move over towards the bed and sit down on the edge of it before you place your hand up by Lexie's shoulder. You give her a little shake, gently waking her from her slumber, "Lexie..." you lean in and give her cheek a kiss.

"Mmm..." Lexie groans out as she rolls to her back. Her beautiful brown eyes open up as she takes a hand up and wipes the sleep out of them, "Darien, what's wrong?!" she must have noticed your eyes still had a thin layer of moisture from your emotional letter you just wrote.

"It's time." you give her a grin as she pushes herself up from the bed, "Gonna go get my tiger and then we march south." She throws her arms around your armored body and buries her head into your chest, rubbing her cheek up and down the fur as you hear her sniffle a few times. "Lexie..." you swallow hard as this moment is a lot harder then you were expecting it to be.

"I'll meet you up by the gate..." she eventually whispers out before she pushes herself back from your chest and does her best to give you a big smile, "You look amazing by the way..." she tries to change the subject from your departure.

"What's five more minutes..." you shrug before you crawl back into bed. Lexie curls up in your side and holds you tight, never wanting to leave your body again. "I love you Lexie." you whisper out in the air as your hands cuddle and caress her own back, "I hope you know that."

The two of you lay there in silence, just enjoying the presence of one another as it could potentially be the last time either of you will ever get to do this again. You wish you could stop time and stay in this spot forever, stay with your wife, ignore everything else in the world and raise your child, but unfortunately, this is life and life never stops.

The five minutes go by way too quick and it's at that point you push yourself up, swing your legs off the bed and stand up. Lexie is on your heels as the instant you turn around, she's once more throwing her arms around your body and crashing her head into your chest. You only caress her, embrace her back and show her how much she means to you.

"Okay." Lexie eventually steps back as she uses the back of her hand to wipe the tears forming in her eyes, "I'll meet you by the gate." she gives the biggest smile she can, "I love you too, Darien!"

With a nod, you turn towards the door and exit your chambers. The last thing to do is go grab your tiger and wait by the main gate where the rest of the Syndicate army should already be starting to form. Just like before, the entire army will line up behind you, you'll give the command and the march south to war will begin.