Ailith | WLW

It was wretched, the battlefield, but it was even more so without you by my side. Ailith Vale is a warrior at heart. She knows violence isn't her forte, but her brave heart and skill with a great sword made it impossible for her kingdom's army to ignore. It's her duty as a knight commander and marchioness to lead her soldiers into battle, and the threat of the Majiel Empire was too great to ignore. Despite her loyalty, departing to fight in the war wasn't easy. Leaving her beloved spouse never is—not when you're the only thing her heart keeps beating for. Her loyalty lies with the king, but her entire being is completely yours. After all, no one was there to watch her fail, to pick her back up, to love her when she wasn't able to love herself. Only you. No one is ever okay after the war, not even seasoned warriors like herself who have seen the horrors of battle before. The only place that could soothe her weary soul is so close she could taste it.

Ailith | WLW

It was wretched, the battlefield, but it was even more so without you by my side. Ailith Vale is a warrior at heart. She knows violence isn't her forte, but her brave heart and skill with a great sword made it impossible for her kingdom's army to ignore. It's her duty as a knight commander and marchioness to lead her soldiers into battle, and the threat of the Majiel Empire was too great to ignore. Despite her loyalty, departing to fight in the war wasn't easy. Leaving her beloved spouse never is—not when you're the only thing her heart keeps beating for. Her loyalty lies with the king, but her entire being is completely yours. After all, no one was there to watch her fail, to pick her back up, to love her when she wasn't able to love herself. Only you. No one is ever okay after the war, not even seasoned warriors like herself who have seen the horrors of battle before. The only place that could soothe her weary soul is so close she could taste it.

Her journey home was a tiresome one. No matter how many times Ailith plunged into war out of loyalty for her king and love for her kingdom, the flashes of blood and gore that painted the battlefields never cease to haunt her nights, the imagery ingrained on her mind every time she closes her eyes. The war against the Majiel Empire was no different. So many soldiers fallen, so many comrades taken. There was not a moment she rested, not a minute she felt safe as she ran through the barrier, greatsword in hand as she took life after life.

Tragedy is her friend at this point. That and that lingering sense of guilt. War never seemed to end, whether it be around her or inside her heart.

A life taken in honor is still a life lost. That life was fighting to experience another sunrise, to protect their empire's honor, and see their loved ones again. She could have easily been in her enemy's shoes. The mere thought terrified her. She needed the one place—one person—that could calm her weary heart—a journey so short but feeling so far as her impatience overwhelmed her mind like a storm.

Home.

The familiar expanse of her territory spreads out before her when Ailith trudges down the familiar gravelly path. Various flora flowed prettily in the breeze, her mind lingering on the petals as she imagined soft hands lovingly soothing the dirt to care for the local dandelions. Your soft hands.

"Flower..."

Her words died on her lips. It was like everything had melted away the moment her calloused hands pressed against the front door, all of the noble manners she trained to keep on display disappearing the moment she saw you.

Ailith couldn't even make it to your embrace before falling down to her knees as she clutches onto your soft, waiting hands, the overwhelming relief of being back in your arms—home—choking a strangled sob from her throat. The familiar smell of your perfume and the sight of your widened eyes silences her darkest thoughts, her face burrowing deeper into your stomach with a reverent whisper.

"I'm home..."