Home. After so many long years, the land of his birth was finally returned to him. Halcyon stood for just a moment and marveled at it all. The plains where his! But what was a king without a queen? The moment he thought it, his heart skipped a beat and his mind rushed to Aster. He could no longer deny his feelings for the young princess. They had been friends for as long as she had been alive and he had always been there to watch over her. He couldn't protect her as a loner. Trusting a mutual friend to care for her, Halcyon watched as she disappeared into the land of Glorall. But now... now he could offer her a home. A safe place where no one could ever harm her again. And so, he set off.
And together they returned. Walking side by side, they moved across the pack boundaries and into Asteraia. The new King and Queen had returned. As if to call out a welcome, a bison could be heard grunting off in the distance and Halcyon could see the unease of the dark wolfess at his side. He nudges her gently, offering comforter and reaffirming his protective stance next to her. Leading her deeper into the plains, they moved to the top of a hill, the same one Iblis once sat on to survey all the land, and took it all in. Turning, Halcyon smiled. "Welcome home, Queen Aster. Then, he bowed to her. For she, was the most important wolf in all of Asteraia. She was its Heart.
When they had moved off the hill, Halcyon moved her, again, towards the old den where the former alphas lay buried behind rock and dirt. There, he had a surprise for her. Resting at the bottom of the cave in, were six large stones. Two of them were smeared with blood, from what looked like a cut paw. "Inside that cave, under all the rocks, lays the Monster, who was really called Tick Tock, and her mate, Tobias. So, it is here, that I made a little memorial for the departed wolves of our past. Tick Tock and Tobias. Iblis and Rhae. Aithne and Praetor. I have marked my parent's gravestones with my blood, claiming the title of Blood Guardian. You are welcome to do the same, if you so wish. They are here, with us, to watch us as we rule over this land together."
Heart thundering in his chest, Halcyon turned to Aster again, his brown eyes meeting her green ones. Licking his lips, he lowered himself into a bow and spoke quietly. "Queen Aster. We've been friends for a long time and I promised you then that I would always watch over you. You shall always be safe here and never again shall your heart know pain. I want to spend my life with you. Not just as a friend. As your shield. As your King. As your... mate." He left the word hanging in the air between them. Unsure of how she would react and suddenly feeling light headed, Halcyon remained low to the ground as he gave his heart to the only wolf in the world who could hold it.