The Ice Queen

Old Faces

Neytiri

"It's so good to see you like this."

Caius pulls me in for a warm embrace as he speaks. It dawns on me that he hasn't seen me since the humans attacked us. I pull away from him, giving him the best smile I can as I study him for wounds.

"You as well, I'm happy I didn't... you know," I trail off afraid to say it out loud but Caius doesn't seem concerned in the least. He quickly brushes off my concern as he gestures for us to begin our walk to the house.

"How was your visit to the village?" he asks.

An involuntary smile forms on my lips as I think of my trip today. It was more than anything I could have ever asked for. My gaze shifts to the cliffside of Caius's home. Even now I can see some of the homes emitting smoke as night begins to fall over the land.

"It was amazing. It gave me hope I didn't know I needed. I was so afraid that everything about us was lost in the suffocating direction of the modern world, but I see my people have remained as they once were, and grown in size. It was beautiful to witness," I say with a smile. My gaze shifts to Caius.

"Thank you for taking care of them. I know you had a hand in this as well."

Caius shakes his head as a smile graces his lips.

"The moment I swore my blood oath to you, your people became my own. There's no need to thank me."

I study Caius wanting to say more but we've already reached the front door of his home. I tense as the feeling of several presences makes itself known. My gaze shifts as we step inside. The foyer is empty, but the lights are on around the corner. Caius for some reason doesn't seem concerned about the bodies I sense coming from the living room, so I follow him around the corner and into the living room.

My vision blurs as tears form, streaming down my cheeks. Joy fills my heart as I take in the familiar faces of the first men to turn on their king for me. Merek, Torren, and Saban all stand with large smiles on their faces, dressed in modern clothing. They all look vaguely different and yet the same after all these years, their bright blue eyes filled with excitement as they take me in. It now makes sense why Cassian was reluctant to come inside.

"I-" I trail off, not knowing what to say.

Caius steps forward, placing his hand on the small of my back, leading me into the room.

"Welcome home," he says softly as each man steps forward with smiles on their lips. I gently hold my hand out, as per the customs as they each greet me.

"Welcome back, my Queen."

I greet each of them, my brain still lacking in coming forth with the proper response, until I hear the thundering footsteps of a heavy beast running through the house. My eyes widen as Tikaani sprints around the corner with his tongue lolling in excitement. He crashes into me, knocking me off my feet. My joy is overwhelming as we both crash to the ground and his wines fill the room as he laps my face.

"Tikaani?" I sob, clutching his fur.

All this time I just assumed he had passed, but it seems anyone connected to me has lived as long as I have. Tikaani is a part of my past I had made peace with losing, but now that I see he's here, it makes everything I've seen today that much more important to protect. No one speaks as my sobs fill the air, my happiness audible as I sit in the center of the living room.

* * * * *

"Would you like some company?"

I look up as Caius steps out onto the balcony with a small plate in his hand. There's a piece of cake on it as he sits next to me and Tikaani. The view here is impressive. The village lights twinkle in the distance, proof that my people are alive. I feel very content at this moment. The "party" Caius planned for me was a perfect ending to this day. Seeing everyone's faces and hearing of how their lives have progressed up to this point has brought me deep joy. Merek recently started a family, Torren trains up-and-coming Ikniri in combat, and Saban recently started seeing someone.