Christian. Your son.

Nephilim’s gold eyes were bright with emotion as he regarded the stallion standing beside Aubrey. In that moment he could not be angry he had missed the experience of watching his child grow up (though he certainly wished for the world he might have); all that mattered now was Christian was here. But how did he feel about Nephilim? Was he willing to look at a total stranger and seek a familial bond or was the damage caused by a father’s absence too great? Though Nephilim worried (mainly because he wanted to act as father to the boy so badly), he would allow Christian the opportunity to express himself and whether or not he craved the relationship with his father.

In the meantime, both Mariael and Maziel were regarding Christian with great curiosity. Maziel, though blind, had pointed her ears toward where Christian stood and shuffled a step closer – body pressed to Mariael’s side and a happy smile worn across her mouth. Mariael, too, was curious and regarding the stallion with a new air of openness rather than the staunch pride she’d held steadfast too before. They had a brother! The girls had never had siblings growing up, for sorrow had affected not only Nephilim.

At Maziel making a small step closer, Nephilim snapped out of his reverie of learning of his child and looked toward his daughters and to Aubrey and Christian again. “Christian, allow me to introduce you to your siblings. This is Maziel and this is Mariael.” His gold eyes flashed to Aubrey and then to Christian. “Mariael leads the Bay as its Queen.” Traditions be damned, thought Nephilim. He had raised his daughter in his likeness and hoped, with his presence, she would flourish into the leader he felt he’d failed to be. Already she’d implanted a series of new changes he hadn’t previously considered; the Bay was at its strongest when protected, the north too strong of climate to be at war with one another. Mariael proposed to allow any who wished to live among its borders to do so and act as a strong unit against any dangers which may affect their family.

Nephilim regarded Christian and that same warm, affectionate, proud light shone in his gaze. “I’m happy to meet you at last, Christian.” He hoped the young stallion thought the same.

His attention turned to Aubrey and he smiled gently. “It’s okay, I understand.” He glanced at his daughters, “sometimes there are things which take us from the islands. The important thing is that you’re both safe and you’re here.” He took a step forward and stretched his lithe neck, tapping her cheek lightly and affectionately with his muzzle before he moved back. “I understand if you can’t stay or don’t want to, but I am so very happy to see you again.”