Star Crossed Lovers

Chapter One

The sun was rising in an orange sky, its' beams shining through the mists like lances. Anduin stood on the veranda of the villa watching as the beams caught on the bamboo that rose up around the villa, reminding him of spears being carried into battle. He smiled as he heard the sound of voices behind him. The villa was in a small valley, surrounded by bamboo groves and it had a peaceful, almost mystical aura that calmed the soul, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, peace did not come easily to him. He looked around one more time before turning and walking back inside. The inside of the villa had anything but a peaceful vibe. The children were excited and looking forward to the fun that their parents had promised them. It was rare that Anduin and Taelia were able to get away from their duties and this was a chance for them to spend some time with each other and the children, away from the never-ending responsibilities of court life. He could not believe how his life had changed. He would never have believed he would be married with twin children, but life often surprises you. Valerian and Eleonor were seven years of age now and time passed so quickly; he did not want to miss their childhoods because he was always busy.

Anduin walked into the living room and laughed. Valerian was sitting on the ground, his arms wrapped around his body as Taelia held up a yukata in front of him.

"I am not wearing a dress and you can't make me!" Valerian pouted, whilst his sister Eleonor giggled on the sofa.

"It is not a dress, it is a yukata," Taelia said with a resigned sigh which suggested that this was not the first time she had explained that. "Come on, put it on. Your dad will be wearing one too. Everyone will be wearing one at the festival, so you will look like to odd one out if you don't wear one."

Valerian sighed and got to his feet, "Fine but only because dad is wearing one." He looked at his sister, "You can't tell anyone I wore a dress!"

Eleonor stuck out her tongue and "Just put it on already!"

Anduin smiled fondly, "Once we are all ready, we can go to the festival."

Taelia was helping Eleonor to put on her yukata. The fabric was a really pale pink, with a darker pink belt which contrasted with her blonde hair and green eyes. She was a pretty girl, who looked like her mother. Taelia smiled and sat back on her heels,

"There you go sweetheart, give me a twirl let me see how pretty you are."

Eleonor giggled and stood on her tiptoes, twirling around so her hair flew around her like a blonde mist. She took after her mum in so many ways and could stand her own against her brother, but sometimes she wanted to be a princess. Anduin chuckled as he remembered Taelia saying to Eleonor that it was ok to want to be a princess sometimes but to remember that princesses could fight as well as any man! Taelia had learnt to fight when she was young and Anduin knew that she could hold her own in battle.

"Do you I look pretty daddy?" Eleonor asked Anduin.

"Beautiful sweetheart, just like your mum," Anduin replied with a smile.

Taelia blushed slightly, whilst Velerian rolled his eyes.

"Gross," he muttered. As a seven-year-old boy, he found all affection between his parents' gross!

Velerian had finally put on his yukata and he stood looking unimpressed. Anduin walked over and ruffled Valerian's dark hair.

"You look very handsome Valerian; you will have all the girls chasing after you!" he laughed.

"Oh gross!" Valerian said, sticking his fingers into this throat.

Taelia laughed, "Leave him alone babe, you are embarrassing him. Come on, you need to get yourself dressed." She pointed at the children, "You two behave and don't get your clothes dirty whilst we go and get changed!" She waggled a finger in their direction and grabbing Anduin's hand led him to their bedroom.

Anduin let himself be led into the bedroom and gently kicked the door shut behind him. Two yukatas were laid out on the bed waiting. His was a dark blue, similar to Valerians but with a paler blue pattern. He stripped off his clothes and stood in his underwear. From the corner of his eye, he saw Taelia stripping off the clothes she had quickly thrown on that morning to give the children their breakfast before getting ready for the day. He turned to look at her, running his eyes admirably over her form. He thought to himself that she was every bit as beautiful as the first time he laid eyes on her. She felt his eyes on her and still in her underwear turned to look at him.

"You are supposed to be getting ready, not ogling me!" she said, raising one eyebrow and looking him up and down.

Anduin chuckled and walked over, wrapping his arms around her waist and gently kissing her forehead. "I can't help it; you are just too beautiful."

Taelia laughed, "We have a festival to go to; let's save the adult time until later!" She reached up and kissed him gently on the lips and with a final slap on his ass, winked at him, "Get dressed before I can't help myself!"

Anduin smiled and put on his yukata, tying his blond hair up into a ponytail. Taelia had put on her own clothes and she twirled.

"What do you think?" she asked.

Anduin looked over at her. Her yukata was lilac with darker purple flowers and a purple belt which brought out the green of her eyes. She put her head slightly on the side and bit her lower lip.

"You look amazing," he walked over and picked up a flower clip from the bed and gently attached it to her hair, a lilac flower to match her yukata.

He stood in front of her, his hand gently resting on her cheek and she gazed back at him. For a moment, he was back to the day he had first met her. It was so long ago now but, in his mind, it seemed like yesterday. Back then, she had been a young girl of 15, not the woman and mother who now stood in front of him but in his eyes, she had grown even more beautiful with age. He ran his finger gently over her lips and smiled.

"Shall we go?"

She smiled and nodded, "We should, before the children get too restless."

They walked back out into the living room, his hand resting on her lower back. Eleonor's eyes opened wide as she looked at her parents.

"You look so beautiful mum, like a princess!"

Valerian looked over, "You look good too dad, even if you are wearing a dress!"

Taelia smiled, "Thank you sweethearts. Shall we go and see what is going on at the festival?"

The twins jumped to their feet "Yes!"

Anduin smiled "Ok then, lets go!"

He smiled at Taelia and reaching out for her hand, led the way out of the villa and headed in the direction of the festival.

Chapter 2

The early morning mists had cleared and given way to beautiful sunshine as the family left the house and walked towards town. The area was beautiful and as they walked through the bamboo forest that shaded the villa from passing eyes, the children chattered excitedly about the treats they were anticipating once they arrived at the festival. Anduin and Taelia walked behind them holding hands, not speaking but listening to the excited voices of their children. They argued like every other brother and sister, but today they were united in their excitement of the day to come. As they walked, they came out from the bamboo and onto the road that led to the town. It was a short walk and it was nice to be able to enjoy the clear fresh air of Pandaria whilst looking at the scenery. Once upon a time, these whole lands had been shrouded in mists but not things were better and more settled. In the distance a mountain rose into the sky; its summit hidden by clouds. Valerian looked over at it, shielding his eye against the morning sun.

"I bet I could climb right to the top of that mountain," he boasted whilst Eleonor pulled a face.

"No way, you would get stuck and dad would have to come and rescue you!" Eleonor retorted, poking her brother with a stick she had picked up from the side of the road.

"He would not!" Valerian said, indignantly. "I would get all the way to the top and then I would be able to see the whole world, wouldn't I dad?"

Anduin looked at Valerian and then up at the mountain, rubbing his chin with this hand as if deep in thought. "Hmmm, well it is a very big mountain. Maybe you should wait until you are a bit older. If you keep up your training, I think you will be able to climb it one day!"

"Told you," Valerian said smugly to Eleonor.

"He said when you were older so that means you couldn't do it now!" Eleonor pointed out whilst poking him again with the stick.

"Stop prodding your brother Eleonor!" Taelia said, trying to look firm but secretly she was happy her children were both confident and outgoing. Life in Stormwind was not always easy and she wanted them to grow up to be warriors, able to protect themselves and others, but for now, she wanted them to enjoy being children.

Eleonor gave Valerian one final prod with the stick and then carried on walking towards the town. Anduin smiled at them.

"She reminds me of you when you were younger. Willing to take on anyone!"

Taelia chuckled, "I still will so watch yourself!"

Anduin smiled, "I never underestimate you, my love."

They carried on walking and the road became busier with folk heading towards the town. Eleonor and Valerian were looking around, eyes wide at the mix of races and brightly coloured yukatas which made the road look like a moving rainbow.

"I told you everyone would be wearing them," Taelia said to Valerian.

Valerian did not reply, he just nodded eyes drawn to a Pandaren native walking past with a huge basket of vegetables walking next to a cart carrying what looked like huge containers of drink.

"Is that all for the festival?" he asked.

"I think so," Taelia said. "There is always lots to eat and drink."

Taelia walked over and took hold of Eleonor's hand. "Ok both of you stay close now, it is getting busy and I do not want to lose you."

Anduin took hold of Valerian's hand, ignoring his protests that he was old enough to walk by himself. "You are 7, you will hold my hand until we get past the crowds." Anduin said.

Once they passed through the main gate to the town, the crowds began to thin out as people headed to look at the stalls and food places which were already set up. The air was filled with the scent of food cooking and different voices shouting out trying to catch the attention of passers by. Valerian and Eleonor were looking around with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Shall we get a snack and have a look what type of stalls there are?" Anduin asked.

The children nodded and headed off towards a stall that had squid and chicken cooking on skewers. Anduin bought one for each of them and they walked around, happily eating and taking in the sights and sounds that came at them from every direction. Eleonor noticed a stall with masks and pulled on Taelia's sleeve, point at them.

"Can we have one of those?" she asked.

"Of course," Taelia replied, "It would not be a festival if you did not have a mask. What kind would you like?"

The children ran to the stall and Anduin and Taelia followed.

"Remember, I bought you one when we were here last time?" Anduin asked, "You looked adorable in it. It was almost like for that one moment, you let your guard down and you were like a child. That is when I knew that I was in love with you."

"You softie, and I was very young back then!" Taelia smiled "I still have it. I brought it with me. I will wear it for you later when the children have gone to bed and we can see what memories it brings back."

The children were looking back and waving their hands to encourage their parents to walk faster and so Anduin and Taelia joined them at the stall.

"I want the bear," Eleonor said, "It is so cute!"

"Not me, I want the tiger," Valerian said, "because they are strong and fierce like I want to be when I grow up!"

The stall holder smiled and handed over the masks. Anduin paid for them whilst Taelia showed the children how to wear them on the side of their heads so that they could still see where they were going. Still excited, the children dashed off towards more stalls. For a couple of hours, they all wandered the stalls and played on the various games that were available. In time, both children began to complain that they were tired and hungry and so Taelia led them to some grass that was next to a small lake whilst Anduin went to find food and drink for them all.

"We can rest for a while," Taelia said, "You will feel better once you have had something to eat and we can do some more things later."

Valerian and Eleonor were laid on the grass, letting the sun warm their faces. Taelia watched them, a smile on her lips. They were perfect, everything she could have wanted and she saw them as a sign that the love between herself and Anduin was deep. The food stalls were busy but finally Anduin returned, laden down with food and drink.

"I didn't know what you would all like so I got a bit of everything I could see" he grinned. "Come on Valerian, if you want to grow up big and strong, you need to eat lots!"

Taelia looked at the food, "That is a lot of food love! You don't need to grow any bigger!" She playfully poked Anduin in his stomach, making the children laugh.

"Hey!" Anduin protested, "I'm in my prime!"

The atmosphere was light and full of laughter as they ate and drank. They ate food that the children had never tried before and food which brought back memories of the past to Taelia and Anduin. Eleonor was sipping her drink and looking at all the other families enjoying time together.

"Why do they have this festival anyway? We do not have festivals like this back home. We should do, it is fun! Dad, you are a king, order some festivals!" Eleonor looked at him.

"It is not that simple sweetheart but maybe one day," Anduin smiled. Anduin wished nothing more than peace to settle on his kingdom but he had resigned himself to the fact that sometimes to gain peace, war must come first.

Taelia sensed a change in the atmosphere and not wishing to bring anything negative to spoil their day with thoughts of home, she looked over at the children.

"Would you like to hear a story about why this festival happens?"

The children nodded. Eleonor moved to sit on her dad's lap and Valerian leaned against Anduin's arm. Once they were comfortable; Taelia began her story.

Chapter 3

"A long time ago, there was a princess who was so beautiful that the stars themselves would look down at her with envy. She was able to use the water from the river to make clothes that no one else was able to make and her father who was the king, loved her and was very proud of her. Every day, she would sit down next to the river and weave fabric for the clothes. She was also very lonely as she had no one to talk to."

"That is really said," Eleonor said.

Taelia smiled, "It is but one day, she saw a man on the other side of the river who was looking after the cows as they grazed on the grass. She tried to carry on with her work but she could not help looking up and trying to see the man, as she thought he was very handsome. He was a good-looking man, with light hair and brown eyes and she did not think she had ever seen anyone who looked so handsome."

"Is that what you thought when you first saw daddy?" Eleonor asked?

"Stop interrupting!" Valerian muttered.

"It was," Taelia smiled, "Your dad is still the most handsome man to me. But the princess was not allowed to talk to common folk and this made her sad. Her father noticed and asked her what was wrong. When she told him that she had seen the cow herder and wanted to talk to him, her father arranged for her to cross the river to talk to him. Even though the cow herder was not royalty, the king allowed the princess to meet him because he wanted his daughter to be happy. The princess and the cow herder sat in the field and talked for hours until the sun went down and by then they realised that they were in love with each other and that they never wanted to be apart again."

"Like you and daddy," Eleonor said, nodding wisely.

Anduin hugged his daughter close. "Just like us, that is correct."

"However," Taelia continued "Once they were married, they could not bear to be apart from each other for even one minute and so they spent all their time together. It meant that the princess was not making her cloth and the cows were not being looked after. The king was really angry and so he forced the princess and the cow herder to be apart on different sides of the river and this meant that they could no longer see each other, apart from one day a year. And so, there is a festival every year to celebrate when the lovers could be together for one day. It is a celebration of love and knowing when you have found the one person you cannot live without."

Taelia finished her story and smiled, looking at Anduin, "Just like how I feel for your dad."

"But you get to see each other all the time," Valerian said. "And if you had to go on different sides of a river, you would just swim or build a bridge. I think it is silly"

Anduin laughed, "Yes I could definitely find a way to cross back over to your mum. I think you are a little young to fully understand the story yet. Anyway, no falling in love until you are older!"

Valerian screwed up his nose, "I won't, girls are annoying!"

Eleonor laughed, "He likes a girl at school dad, he looks at her all the time."

"I do not!" Valerian shouted and threw a leftover fried octopus ball at his sister.

Eleonor giggled "He does!"

Sensing that there was about to be a sibling fight, Taelia got to her feet and gathered up all the wrappers from the food that they had eaten.

"Ok you two, enough now! Have you eaten plenty? Shall we go and do some more things?" she asked.

Anduin lifted Eleonor off his knee and stood up, "I think we should before they throw more than left over food!"

Eleonor held up her arms and Anduin swung her up onto his shoulders. She was growing up quickly but even though she was seven, she was still a daddy's girl and liked to be carried on his shoulders. She playfully held onto Anduin's ponytail and kicked with her heels, "Gee up Horsey!" she said. Anduin laughed and holding onto Eleonor's legs, started to run carefully over the grass towards the water. Valerian laughed and ran after them whilst Taelia finished clearing up. She put the wrappers in a bin and stood watching her family as they ran. Anduin was pretending to trip and drop Eleonor into the lake whilst Eleonor squealed. Valerian was encouraging his dad to drop his sister into the water. Taelia smiled happily and followed them towards the water. She remembered this lake from another time. It had been dark that night. Anduin had taken her to the lake to watch the fireworks that marked the end of the festival and they had sat on the far side in the wooded area, away from prying eyes. He had taken off his cloak and they had sat under the trees, watching as the night sky burst into life as fireworks exploded in bursts of colour. After a while, she had noticed that Anduin was not watching the fireworks but was looking at her and she had turned her head to look at him. She had asked him why he was not looking at the sky and he had told her that she was much more beautiful than the fireworks could ever be and so he preferred to look at her. She had blushed and had been glad that it was dark and he could not see. He had lifted his hand and put it under her chin, moving her towards him and under the blossom of the final fireworks, he had kissed her for the very first time. The sky was alight with reds and yellows as he had gently pushed her back onto his cloak, his hand moving down her body. They had spent the night there and, in the morning, laying together wrapped in his cloak, he had told her he loved her and would never leave her side. She smiled at the memory as she watched him play with their children. She had never loved anyone as she loved Anduin and she could not imagine her life without him. With a last smile to herself, she ran over to join her family.

Anduin was laughing and playfully swinging Valerian towards the water as if to throw him when Taelia joined them at the lake side, having put Eleonor back on the ground. Taelia smiled and put her arm around Eleonor's shoulders as she watched, enjoying seeing her children being allowed to be children and not have to worry about the grown-up world. She smiled again as she thought how good it was for Anduin to be able to be himself, away from the pressures of ruling. She saw his face had relaxed and he looked so much younger, like the boy that she had fallen in love with. Eleonor soon began to grow bored with watching her father and brother fool about and wanted to go and have a look at the stalls. Taelia agreed to walked back with her.

"We will be over there by the game stalls once you boys have finished playing," Taelia laughed.

Anduin nodded and pretended to throw Valerian again.

"Boys!" Eleonor said, in a voice that suggested she had seen more than enough of boys being foolish in her seven years.

Taelia laughed and holding Eleonor's hand, led her back towards the festival. Eleonor had seen a stall with stuffed animals and she wanted to try and win one. Although Eleonor often liked to pretend she was older and wiser than she was, at heart she was still a little girl who loved to cuddle her soft animals when she slept. They arrived at the stall and Eleonor pointed at a large stuffed panda.

"I want that one mum," she said.

Taelia looked at the game, the idea was to knock a stack of wooden blocks over with a ball. She paid the Pandaren behind the stall and collected her three balls. She weighed them in her hand and raised an eyebrow. They barely weighed anything, nowhere near heavy enough to knock over the stack of blocks at the back of the stall. A normal person would struggle to knock any more than one or two blocks and would have to make do with one of the smaller prizes but Taelia was not an everyday person, she was a trained warrior and a guard of Proudmoore. She drew back her arm and threw the ball with all the power she possessed. It flew through the air and hit the blocks straight on, knocking them all off the table. The stall owner looked on in amazement as he did not have any winners during a normal festival and the giant panda had always been safe. Eleonor was jumping up and down in excitement as the panda was handed over to her. It was almost as big as she was and she was spinning round with it dancing to music that only she could hear. Anduin and Valerian walked up just as Eleonor was dancing in a circle, her hair flowing. Anduin laughed,

"How on earth is she going to carry that around for the rest of the day? I have a feeling that I may end up with it!"

Eleonor shook her head, "Nope, he is all mine and I will carry him forever!"

"Aha," Anduin replied, "We should have brought Reverence or Galeheart with us, they could have carried it when she gets tired."

Eleonor's eyes lit up at the thought of her panda riding on one of her parent's mounts. "When we get home, I am going to make him armour and he can ride into battle!"

Taelia laughed and Anduin shook his head in despair, "It is your own fault," Taelia said, "You suggested it! Right, let's go and write our prayer slips before it gets to busy."

Anduin reached over for Taelia's hand and they led the way towards the temple with Valerian and Eleonor, dragging her panda, following on behind.

Chapter 4

The day was passing quickly and the afternoon sun was getting lower in the sky by the time they arrived at the temple to write their prayer slips. Already, the trees around the courtyard were covered in coloured paper, swirling and flipping in the breeze. There was a hush over the area as people sat on benches or on the ground, slips of paper on their knees and pens poised as they thought about what they wished to ask the Gods to grant them in the coming year. Valerian and Eleonor looked around, they had never seen anything like it.

"Will our wishes come true?" Valerian said, a little too loudly and Anduin hushed him.

"If you wish hard and work hard, they will come true." Anduin smiled.

Valerian still did not look convinced and Anduin leant to whisper in his ear, "I wished that your mum would fall in love with me and we would always be together and that came true, so write down the things you wish for the most."

Taelia had been to get them slips and they all sat together on a grass banking in the shade. The tree above them whispered gently in the breeze as the leaves moved and rubbed against each other. Taelia looked up and watched the leaves as they moved, wondering what she should wish for as everything she had ever wanted was right there, sitting under the tree next to her. She looked at Anduin and the faces of her children and made her decision. Picking up her pen she wrote on her slip,

'I pray for a happy life for my husband and children, may they never know sorrow and always love each other.'

Once she had written her wish, she leant back and let the sun warm her face as she waited for the others to write theirs. Anduin had written his and he moved to sit closer to her. She smiled and leant her head against his shoulder.

"What did you wish for babe?" she asked.

"That I would always feel as happy as I do today," he replied. "I don't mean to worry you but Valerian wished for a really big sword, some armour and his own mount." Anduin laughed, "He is growing up."

"Well, he needs to slow down," Taelia said, "I want them to be my babies for a little bit longer. I don't know what Eleonor wished for, she is keeping her paper covered. I will let her have her privacy."

Eleonor was laying across her panda as she wrote. She had thought hard about her wish and wrote it in her best handwriting so that the Gods could read it. She had written,

'I wish that mummy and daddy would be happy forever and not have to fight in wars anymore. I wish that they will always be safe.'

After a little thought, she added,

'I also wish my brother would always be safe, even if sometimes we argue, I still love him.'

Happy with her wish she folded it over and waited to go and hang it with the others on the tree. Once they were done, Anduin lifted Eleonor up so she could hang her wish on a higher branch as she wanted it to be a secret. He did, however, catch a glance as she tied it and his heart missed a beat as he read what she had written. He decided to tell Taelia later when they were alone. He did not want his children to have to fight and he did not want them to have to worry about the safety of their parents. Valerian was tying his to a lower branch; he did not care who saw it as he did not believe that the outcome of his wish was down to fate but more that it was down to when his parents decided he was old enough to learn to fight. He wanted nothing more in life to be like his dad. Anduin was everything to Valerian, his hero and the person he looked up to. He loved his mum and his sister; although he would never admit it to Eleonor that he did. He wanted to protect them and everyone he cared for.

By the time they had finished, dusk was approaching. Anduin looked up at the sky, the moon was already out and the first stars of evening were shining dimly. It looked like the night would be clear and so the fireworks would be seen for miles around. He gently wrapped his arms around Taelia's waist and leant forward, his breath warm against her neck. He kissed her gently as she leant her head back against his.

"Shall we go to the place we watched the fireworks from the first time we were here?" he asked quietly, nibbling on the bottom of her ear as he did.

Taelia closed her eyes and felt a shiver run down her spine at the touch of his lips, she never grew tired of her husband's affections. For one moment, she was not aware of anything but his lips and his breath. She nodded; her eyes still closed.

"Yes, lets make a new memory there with our children. I don't want to replace the old memory but I want it to be a place that is special to us all."

Anduin held her close for a few more seconds and then looked around for the children. They were standing looking at the prayer sheets, trying to ignore their parents as they found displays of public affection embarrassing, especially when it involved their parents. Anduin called them over and they headed away from the temple back towards the lake.

"Where are we going?" Valerian asked. "Is it a long way?"

"We are going around to the other side of the lake. There is somewhere there where we can sit and watch the fireworks. It is a secret place so it will not be busy and we can watch them as a family," Taelia said.

"Well at least it was not busy last time we were there," Anduin said with a wink at Taelia, who blushed.

"Why are you going red mum?" Eleonor asked.

"Am I?" Taelia asked, "It is nothing, I just felt a bit warm for a moment."

Anduin laughed and helped Eleonor to carry her panda as it was a longer walk and she was beginning to struggle. As they walked, Valerian threw stones into the lake, seeing how far he could get them. Finally, they reached the far side and Anduin led the way into the trees.

"We wont be able to see the fireworks in the trees," Valerian moaned.

"Just wait," Anduin said, "Where we are going you will be able to see perfectly."

They walked further until they came across a clearing, surrounded on three sides by trees and the fourth by the lake. Along the lakeside, tall reeds grew sheltering the clearing from being seen on the other side of the lake. Even in a boat, it would be difficult to see inside. Taelia looked around, memories flooding back. She had not been to the clearing since that night long ago and it felt as though time had stood still as it looked exactly the same; although maybe the trees were a little fuller and the reeds higher. She undid the bag that she had been carrying around all day and took out a blanket which she spread out in the clearing. Earlier, when Anduin was buying lunch, he had bought extra snacks and drinks and she got those out, placing them on the blanket. The light was fading and the stars in the sky were getting brighter. Around them fireflies began to appear, giving small flashes of yellow light as they hovered around the reeds and bushes. Standing by the side of the lake, Anduin was watching for people to gather and for a sign that the fireworks would be starting. Taelia sat on the blanket with the children, admiring her husband as he stood watching, illuminated only by the fireflies. Even in a yukata, she could see the warrior that was her husband. Anduin saw that people were settled and the music had begun, which signaled the start of the fireworks. He walked back to the blanket.

"Ok, they are going to begin. There is a right way to watch these fireworks, so we need to get comfortable," he picked up the giant panda and laid it across the top of the blanket. "This can be our pillow. Everyone lay down!"

Anduin laid down on his back and patted the blanket on his left side for Valerian to lay next to him. Taelia lay next down on his right and slipped her hand into his. Eleonor then laid down next to Taelia, who reached out to hold Eleonor's hand in hers. Once they were settled, they all laid still and watched the sky. After a few minutes, the sky lit up. A loud whoosh shot up into the night and with a bang, red and yellow flashes lit up the sky. Valerian and Eleonor gasped and Valerian reached out for his dad's hand, reverting back to the young boy that he was as excitement shone in his eyes. Flash after flash shot into the night, the colours changing from red and yellow to blues and purples and the back again. Fireworks in the shape of flowers and cherry blossoms caused the children to cry out and point at the sky in excitement. Out of the corner of his eye, Anduin watched Taelia's face as he had when they first laid in the same clearing. Her eyes were alive with excitement and happiness and he wished he could stop time at that exact moment; even for just a little while so he could sit and watch her looking this happy for longer. He knew that he could not but he would carry the picture of this moment in his mind for a long time and in times of worry, he would be able to pull it from his memory and find comfort. The fireworks reached their conclusion with an almighty bang, loud enough to wake the dead and the sky lit up for a final time in a cascade of colour which built until one last large flower bloomed and died and the evening was over.

As the final explosion died out, excited voices carried across the lake to where the family lay, but as time passed, the voices went quiet and all that was left were the noises of the night. The fireflies returned and flittered around their heads and the creatures that only came out at night snuffled in the undergrowth. Eleonor yawned and leant her head against Taelia.

"They are getting tired," Taelia said to Anduin, "It has been a long day.

Valerian denied being tired, but his eyelids were drooping and he could not hide his yawns. Anduin stood up and helped Taelia pack away the blanket and leftovers. By the time they were done, Eleonor was fast asleep; curled up on her panda. Taelia smiled as she watched her daughter, her face relaxed in sleep.

"I think you will need to carry her back," Taelia said to Anduin. "Are you ok to walk Valerian and I will carry the panda?"

Valerian nodded and rubbed his eyes, "I can make it"

Anduin chuckled, "Give it your best son but if I need to, I can carry you both."

Anduin picked Eleonor up gently. She did not wake up and leaned against him, her face snuggled into his neck and her fingers twisted into his hair, the way she used to do when she was a baby looking for comfort. They set off walking quietly through the dark until they reached the village. There were still people about, shutting down their stalls and talking with friends and they smiled as the family walked past. Nobody spoke as they walked back towards the villa, the night was so peaceful that they did not want to break the silence. The bamboo forest surrounding the villa came into view and they arrived back just as a gentle rain began to fall. Anduin carried Eleonor straight to her bed, tucking her in with her panda beside her. She mumbled in her sleep and hugged her panda close. Despite arguing that he was not tired, Valerian was soon tucked up in bed and fell asleep within minutes. Taelia leant against the doorframe watching them sleep soundly, knowing they were safe and loved. Anduin quietly walked behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Have you had a good time?" he asked.

Taelia nodded, still watching the children before leaning her head back for a kiss.

"It has been everything I hoped it would be. We don't need to go home for a few days, do we? I want to spend more time, like this. However," she said, "They are fast asleep so now I think it is time for us to relive some old memories, don't you think?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

Anduin chuckled, "I could not agree more!"

He swung Taelia up into his arms and kissed her, harder and more passionately than he had in front of the children. Gently pushing the children's bedroom door shut with his foot, he carried Taelia to their bedroom where a mask lay waiting on the bed. Taelia smiled.

"I told you I would wear that for you, just like when we first met."

Anduin kissed her again and laying her down on the bed, they spent the night reliving some old memories and creating some new ones … for just the two of them.