She did not have to get up dawn today, nor would she for the next several days, yet no one informed her internal alarm clock this, so as the sun first stretched its orange and pink beams into the sky her eyes fluttered open. The bed underneath her felt unfamiliar, not as soft as the bed she was used to, nor was there the familiar wall of pillow that cradled the bed. She blinked a few times to get herself oriented, staring at the crimson lace curtain. After a few moments she remembered why she was in a Sin’dorei bed and not a Pandaren bed.

An arm enfolded around her diaphragm, another arm was under her pillow. She allowed herself to be lulled by the warmth against her back, and the sound a soft steady breath behind her ears into a less aware state of half sleep. Her eyes droop halfway down, and the laziest of smiles crossed her lips. It was a rare moment to indulge in, when she was warm and safe, there was nothing to do or worry about, and there was a serene silence that was quite soothing.

She felt a little guilty about taking this vacation, particularly with how quickly Dhel agreed to it. Here she was trying to get him to take a vacation, and she takes one before he does. It didn’t really take much for Ventus to convince her. He probably didn’t even need his reasons, though they were pretty sound. This would be the last chance they had to just enjoy their company with little stress before the baby. In truth, all he had to do was extend his hand out and say, “Come with me.” And she would probably reach out with her own hand and do so, every time.  No reason, sanity, or sense of responsibility needed, and can be so abandoned. She was a sucker for him, and she knew it.

She had a feeling the vacation was for multiple reasons. One of which was to soften the blow from his request. He knew she wouldn’t take putting the wedding on hold well. Who would? It would have made anyone feel insecure, angry, and even a little heart broken. Anyone would wonder if the request came from a ligament reason, cold feet, or simply due to the fact that he doesn’t want to marry her but doesn’t want to let go either.

That was what they had talked about last night, delaying their wedding. Ventus was afraid, and it took him some time to convince her not in the cold feet kind of way but in a genuine fear of her and their child’s safety. He would have preferred it if they waited till the Orc was removed from the throne he was seeping with blood. He would have preferred to wait for a time when there was peace, and there could be a party or celebration without worry about something attacking them.

Of course she knew better now. She knew that kind of peace can no longer exist. There will always be some evil threatening this world, threatening the peace and safety of them. They can wait for a peace for the rest of their lives, and will probably never see it.

Instead a compromise was made. They will not wait for the corruption to be purged from the government. They will not wait for a death or execution; instead they will wait for a life to be born. Once she carried to term, delivered, and the proof of their union was in the world for them to cherish, then they will take their vows and celebrate that union. They would officially be a family, the three of them, to the eyes of her friends, peers and the law. She could wait for July for that. She could wait for their son to be born so that he can join in too. It would have been romantic to have the wedding in February, but this too is romantic.

As if thinking about him stirred his rest, Liliania felt familiar movements in her stomach.  The boy inside her seemed to almost be more active than the man lying with her. She would have to get up soon to feed them both. The day will have to start eventually after all.

She wasn’t sure what they were going to do; this was a vacation after all. She knew that she was going to be keeping an eye on some estates while they were here in the beautiful Quel’Danas. This was a working vacation for the both of them.

Her cousin was ill and being held prisoner in one of those estates. Her cousin’s husband was breaking into that estate, rescuing her, getting the antidote and confronting her captor. She wanted to be close by for when the escaped happened; she had a feeling multiple people would need medical attention. She promised Ventus that she wasn’t going to do anything foolish with that situation. Like go in after Niavan to help with the rescue. She was strictly on the sidelines, ready to help but not ready to be active.

She had a feeling her fiancé had his own reasons for vacationing up here, and it wasn’t to see the Sunwell. As he said, this was a working vacation, which meant he too was working. What he was working on, she didn’t know, but she had the feeling it had something to do with the real reason he broke into the Silvermoon archives and dug up family lineages. While Ventus was very blunt to her about his profession, there were many details of that aspect he deliberately kept from her, probably for her own protection.

Her smile deepened into an affectionate smile at that thought. She remembered the time when he told her he wasn’t her protector that he wasn’t going to do anything to protect her. She would live and die on her own. That was a long time ago. The funniest thing was, she can’t quite remember when the changed occurred. It was probably a slow, subtle change that coincided as their relationship deepened and the conflicting situations spun through their lives in a chronological order that only the brawn dragons could understand.  It didn’t matter much when it occurred or why. It was simply amusing that it happened; though Ventus was probably disagree with her.

She crawled out of the bed with a smile and stretched her limbs. Her mood was golden. How could it not be? For the next four days she and the man she loved will spend stress free, care free time in each other’s company. She was really looking forward to this vacation.