The Light Within The Darkness

A Family Of Three

Mara stood outside the Tavern, anxiously waiting for her girlfriend to arrive as she tapped her foot up and down, the only thing indicating at how truly nervous she was.

Yes, she's met the little girl already, but this was different. She was inviting her over to stay the night, to test the waters so to speak with them to see if she was comfortable living with Mara and her girlfriend.

The meeting had ended about two hours ago, the Young Wolf had then wasted zero time before she dragged her girlfriend out of the HELM and into her ship before making a b-line right towards the Last City without so much as a goodbye to the others.

She had given Mara the run down about the day, how she'd play with the kids for an hour before heading to the orphanage with Isabella to see if they allowed her to take the girl with them just for the day.

Seeing as who her girlfriend was though, Mara suspected that the Orphanage wouldn't have a problem with it.

Her lover was due back any minute now with the little girl who meant so much to her and Mara, for the first time in many years was truly and utterly afraid.

She didn't want to mess this up for her girlfriend, didn't want to get between her and the kid but what if Isabella hated her? What if she thought Mara was trying to steal the Young Wolf away from her? What if she resented her for—

"I can hear your thoughts Queen Mara, even from inside the Tavern." Lillian said, walking out the front door so silently Mara didn't even hear her. The warlock continued to stroll out of the doorway until she was standing right beside the Awoken Monarch, arms crossed with her hip cocked to the side, gazing down the street just like Mara was and waiting for the Young Wolf's arrival.

Mara looked at the woman out of the corner of her eye before she turned back to look straight ahead, "Lillian. To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked, ignoring the warlock's statement for now.

The woman didn't answer her question right off the bat, she merely gazed at the Queen knowingly with a small smile, "You're overthinking it your grace." She said, making the Queen clench her jaw, "That little girl loves my sister with all her heart. She'll love you based purely on the fact that YOU love Wolf, I promise there's nothing to worry about."

The Queen scoffed, "Am I that obvious?" She asked calmly, eyes gazing at the road in front of her with impassive eyes but there was a small hint of anxiety in her tone that even Lillian picked up on.

The Warlock merely smiled back, "To others? Probably not, but I have years of trying to read Wolf's feelings under my belt, I've picked up a thing or two about noticing certain types of emotions." She said, taking a once over of the Queen's frame before looking back up into her eyes, a gentle expression behind her irises, "Even from The Queen of the Reef."

"Yes." Mara murmured, "I don't think I've ever truly thanked you for that."

Lillian titled her head in confusion, "Thank me for what?"

"For looking out for her." The Queen admitted softly before sighing under her breath, "I'm glad that she had you during those years I was indisposed, all of you."

The warlock huffed, "Yeah well, we could've done more. She was always so laser focused on the threat before us, she barely took the time to take care of herself and...when she did, she'd only stick around for an hour before she was back out in the field." Lillian admitted quietly, a somber tone to her voice as she spoke about her friend, "We...we tried to get her to come out of her shell but every one of our attempts was met with resistance and it was only after she ignored us for an entire three months when we finally backed off and let her go at her own pace. Better...she had a couple hours every week than going months without rest, or...so we thought back then."