No words can heal a mourning heart. They may be able to stave off the constant flow of pain for a moment, but the only thing that could mend a wound that deep was time. Halcyon knew his words could only do so much for his mate, he knew the battle happening inside her mind, knew that she blamed herself. Though he did not know what had transpired between Aster and Eden, he felt that all this led back to Glorall. Something had happened there, something that seemed to make his queen grow up far too quickly.
There was no denying that his dark mate was different and, perhaps, it was for the best. Aster was an alpha now, someone that was looked up to and was responsible for the many lives that dwelled within her land. Sooner or later, she would have needed to become an adult both in body and in mind. Halcyon just wished it had been under better terms.
With open ears, he listens to her speak again. She tells of her failure of Iromar and he can't help but chuckled a little. "Aster, you have not failed your homeland. When that bastard came and murdered your mother, you were but a pup. If you had fought back, you would have been killed. Instead, you gathered wolves to your cause. You rallied them and gave them the courage to fight and take back their home. If anyone has failed Iromar, it's me," he trailed off, panting again. Something that Haclyon did not notice was how much better he felt by simply being with his mate. Talking with her in the chilly night warmed his soul and seemed to make him feel stronger than he had in weeks.
"Your mother gave me the throne and I mishandled it so terribly I had to banish myself in shame. If I had been there as her Royal Guard, maybe I could have saved her." His voice cracked as he managed to hold back the tears that threatened to burst from his eyes. Right now, he needed to be strong for Aster. "When Tick Tock gave me my birth pack, I knew I had been given a second chance. I would never let another pack down again. I wanted to bring you here, to keep you safe. I stole you away from Iromar." Again, his voice trailed off, but this time a fit of coughing forced him to cut his sentence short. The winter air would not allow him to stay outside much longer. But he was determined to stay out as long as was needed.
"We will not fail Asteraia, my queen. No matter what Fate may throw at us, we will prevail together. Together, we are strong." Smiling at her, Halcyon rose to his paws. Watching to see if she did the same, he gazed deeply into her eyes and felt his heart skip a beat. After all this time, she still made him feel like a pup again. Taking a deep gulp of air, and ignoring the burning sensation that came with the cold, the alpha male let loose his song into the night. It had been so long since he had sang! Not even the sickness could stop him as he belted the notes towards the stars. The song rang for all their loved ones and soon many other voices joined theirs as they called to the heavens. Their voices would reach those of Glorall and Diveen. They would hear how strong the notes were and would know that Asteraia stood united in love. The wolves of the plains had their ancestors to guide them through these dark and troubling times.
