The statue of Walter gazed off into the distance somberly as the dark smoke from the six gun salute wreathed around his ears. The Queen fought back a grimace at the sight. This stone man was not anything like Walter. She missed the easy laughter, the smile full of pride, the deep and rumbling exclamation of 'balls!'. She stood silently through the remembrance ceremony, accepted the comments of those in attendance: wrinkly, fantastic old Sabine, Ben Finn in his new regimental, Page and Kalin and even Jasper had come out of the Sanctuary to pay his respects to his old friend. Logan, wearing his royal garments, had moved back into the Palace at his sister's insistence. After she had spared him, Logan had moved into the barracks and lived with the soldiers as one of them, spending his free time on the streets of Bowerstone helping those who needed it and teaching at the school. Though there were still those who regarded him with suspicion he was by and large a Prince of the people now, forgiven and even loved. He was even being courted by a woman, a young widow by the name of Sarah whom the Queen had escorted once to her husband's grave. Logan had escorted her there a few times, and now he escorted her to dinner instead of a grave. The Queen smiled. They suited each other, both so quiet and serious. She was happy for them.
Finally she was alone. The Queen went to the balcony railing and perched on top of it facing the ocean, her legs dangling. She gazed out over the sparkling blue. She put her hands on her lower back and arched, her spine crackling. She sighed, tucking one leg up and resting her chin on her knee. She pulled a creased and raggedy bit of paper out of her pocket and held it, running her thumb over the folds. She recalled finding the note in the war room after the battle, reading it for the first time streaked with ash and blood and victory. She smirked, running the words through her mind, and as always it was like he was standing behind her, just out of sight, speaking to her in that easy drawl.
"Greetings, your Majesty. I do hope your battle against the dark forces so intent on destroying our way of life went well. It would be such a disappointment to find you all dead when I return, for yes, I must take my leave now and attend to a matter of a somewhat personal nature. It is a regular appointment of mine, and one that grows more tiresome with each passing year. Perhaps I will tell you more about it one day. Until then, allow me to say that it has been a privilege to serve you, and I eagerly anticipate doing so again in the near future. Tatty-bye! Your friend and loyal attendant, Reaver."
The Queen chuckled, out of warmth rather than amusement. It had been a long three months since the Invasion, and Albion was doing just fine, but she was so. Damn. Bored. She missed Reaver, his sly observations and sarcastic jibes, his crooked smirk and his real, full smile that she had only ever seen when they were alone. She missed the spark in his eyes when he looked at her, that spark that was part approval part respect and part something else that she was a little afraid of and so she tiptoed around it, flickering at it like a snake tongue, testing and tasting to see if it was acceptable, but too wary to commit to action. The Queen laughed at herself for a fool. She was the damned Queen of Albion, not some timid little milkmaid. But Reaver was...well, Reaver, unlike any of the boys or men she knew, probably not like any other man in the whole world. He had thrown her for a loop and kept her on her toes ever since the night he had whispered in her ear and kissed her. She closed her eyes remembering the tickle of breath on her earlobe, and those two most precious words "goodnight, Rose" and the shock of hearing her name and being kissed all at once and damn if it wasn't the best kiss of her life, before or since.
The Queen laughed at herself again, and stood up on the rail, tucking away the note and stretching. She sucked in a slow deep breath, cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled towards the ocean as loud as she could
"BAAAAAAAAAAALLS!"
"Well now, that's not very Queenly behaviour."
The Queen lowered her hand and clenched them both tight.
"Will you be there when I turn around, or are you just in my head?"
"Have you been fantasizing about me, my dear? Do share."
The Queen slowly turned. Reaver was there, smirking up at her, as if he had never been gone. She hopped down from the rail and crossed the distance between them in three quick steps. She tentatively raised a hand and ran her fingers through the black fur of his coat before resting them lightly on his chest. She lifted her chin to look him in the eye, and backhanded him across the face as hard as she could. Reaver raised a gloved hand to his reddening cheek, and looked her in the eye, an eyebrow raised in question. He opened his mouth to ask the question but was cut off as the Queen grabbed a double handful of black fur and pulled him down, kissing him as hard as she could. A few moments later she pushed him roughly away and stepped back. Reaver rubbed his cheek, a bemused smirk on his face.
"Quite the welcome, your Majesty. Such scandalous behaviour will delight the gossipmongers." He tilted his head, and the Queen looked in the direction indicated. A gardener had been clipping hedges, but was now frozen mid clip, with his jaw somewhere around his ankles. She looked back at Reaver and laughed. "Let them gossip. You, mister, have some explaining to do." Reaver bowed a little bow and offered his arm. "Shall we go inside then, my dear?" The Queen smiled and slipped her arm through his.
As the pair sauntered inside, headed for the War Room and sofas and a fine stiff drink, the gardener dropped his shears and bolted for the servants quarters as fast as his legs would take him. He burst through the door red-faced and out of breath, and a score of faces turned towards them. He grinned a big toothy grin at them "You lot will never guess what I just saw..."
Finis...for now. I have a sequel in mind(and I'll get to writing it asap), but this wraps up Her Mother's Daughter. Thanks so much to everyone who followed, and reviewers are my most favourite people ever. Couldn't have done it without you guys! :D
P.S. Oh, and would you guys like a spin-off about Logan?