Epilogue: The End of an Age

"One week." "One week? You'll be gone that long?" "Yes, I need the rest, I believe everyone does." "But, we need you here." Alayne and Pierce had been talking for hours about his plans to retire home to Kelta for a week, they had been discussing everything from their plans as lovers to her plans as acting Optimi to his plans while away. "I'm only going home to sleep for a week, then I shall return." Alayne had to fight back the tears, she didn't want him to go, she wanted to be with him. It was still raining when Pierce left, it had been raining since the end of the war. Pierce had left her with the words "When I return..." and they ran through her mind almost constantly. The same day, Defenders from around the world started arriving at Lancaster to begin work on the ancient academy, cleaning and repairs and such. When she was asked where he was, she only replied "He's at rest, partaking in his peace."

The week seemed to crawl by, the dead were buried, services were held, life slowly returned to normal. Hux walked in on the sixth day, returning from Kelta with word from Pierce. "So what did he say?" "He wrote you this note, he said it was important that I not look at it, so I didn't." She opened the note and looked it over, it read:

"My dearest Alayne,

I am doing well at home, I have taken three days rest and have spent my past two days reading all the literature that I preserved from the war. I've got something special for you, I believe you will like it. I hope you are well, and I know that the Defenders are safe under your rule. I shall return soon, and then we will discuss things further.

--Pierce Alexander"

It was signed in his usual, beautifully sculpted handwriting which seemed to flow across the page as though it were all one word. Her heart sang at the thought of his return, it would be a nice break from the gloom of the funeral ceremonies. "Was he as calm as usual?" "No, actually this time he seemed to be calmer, as though he had let an enormous weight lift itself from his shoulders." "I see, well, tomorrow he should be here." "Will there be a ceremony?" "No, I think he wants it to be as calm as his home." Hux walked out, and as she sat down in the throne he would soon be filling, she wondered in delight on what he would be bringing her.

Pierce arrived the next day, around ten in the morning, there were people who did not know he was returning and upon sight of him, they nearly fainted in joy. The academy was well kept in his absence, the floors were cleaned to a mirror sheen, the walls were dusted, along with the statues of the previous Optimi, he noticed a man standing at an empty spot, and when he walked by, he ran over to Pierce. "Sir! I need to measure you and draw you for your sculpture!" "Sculpture? Can it wait?" "Most certainly, Optimi Pierce!" Pierce walked into the throne room where Alayne was waiting for him, she had seemed to mature even further while he was away, she had filled into her adult, womanly figure in a very beautiful way, her raiment was clean and white, and as she stood, the Sisters came through the door with him, they had been made aware of Pierce's gift to her in advance, and they were willing to watch her joy.

"Alayne." "Pierce!" she ran over to him and held him tight, she had missed him more than ever while he was gone, it had made her almost perpetually depressed, but now that he was back, she was happier than ever. "Alayne, I have your present with me." She held out her hand, expecting it to be something small enough to put on her shelf in her room. He grabbed her hand softly and looked into her eyes "Alayne, from the time we spent together, from all the time throughout that great ordeal, you have kept me optimistic, kept me captivated by you." She was starting to see what was going on "You have allowed me to see what I am missing in my life, and that void can be filled by only you." He knealt down and pulled out a small wooden box "Alayne..." he opened the box, revealing a silver ring with a single small teardrop diamond socketed in it "Will you fill that void?" Alayne started to cry, she was so overtaken by his proposal that her tears streamed down her face like waterfalls "Yes, Pierce, I will, I will marry you." The Sisters began to clap and cheer as Pierce stood and kissed her, the tears were still running down her face. "What's going on?" A rather inquisitive voice chimed in through the cheers and clapping, it was Alex, his wounds were healed and his bandages removed. Leona came through the group of Sisters and filled Alex in, his sarcasm kicked in "Oh great, now they're gonna have really tall children, I can't get a break around here." The whole room was filled with laughter for a while, and then it slowly quieted down.

That night, Alayne was trying on her dress for the first time, the ceremony was to be at dawn, and it would be a rather simple, old fashioned sort of ceremony. Hux walked in as she finished pulling it over her breasts. "Hux, great timing, can you help me lace this up?" "Um...Pierce wouldn't like that, I think." "You're just helping me lace up my dress, don't worry about it." Hux carefully laced up Alayne's dress and stepped back "If Pierce asks, I didn't have any part in lacing that up." she laughed "I understand, now what do you need?" "Just checking on you." He waited a moment "Pearl would have loved to have seen this." "She would've loved to have seen you, Hux." "Seriously? I thought that I annoyed her to no end!" "Oh you did, but behind all that, she loved you. It's a shame she's..." They both sat in silence for a moment before Hux spoke up "I'll go now, good luck tomorrow."

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and soon after it was over, Pierce and Alayne found themselves in bed together again, but this time, there would be no worry if they would survive until tomorrow, there would be no rush, only love.

Two years later, Alayne gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. "What shall we name her? Do you have any ideas?" "We'll name her...Alexandira" "Alexandria, you mean?" "No, Alexandira, Alexandira Leonanira, in old Keltic it means 'Daughter of Liberty, Slave to no one'."

One day, their world was plunged into darkness, and they fought through it all. There was a statue placed in the courtyard of Lancaster which displayed Pierce being held up by several Sisters as he pulled a sword, with the word "Peace" inscribed on it, out of the stone of "strife". There was an inscription on a small bronze plate at the bottom of the statue that read "We stand here today to fight on this ground of evil and slavery, for tomorrow we will be free men. --Liaz the Dragonfist"

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And thusly the story of the Defenders comes to a close.

I would like to thank anyone who may have read this for stopping by to read it in the first place, and I would also like to thank Fictionpress for allowing me to publish this for free for your viewing pleasure (or detriment, in which case, don't review, please.) And finally, I would like to thank Pierce for keeping me motivated to type this all up, without him, the story would not be finished, or even be a story at all!

If you have any questions about The Defenders: A tale of Rebellion feel free to e-mail me at will be happy to answer them.