|| Rosfield Cottage ||
|| Western Rosaria ||
|| Year of the Realm - 886 ||

Clive was peacefully sleeping in bed until he felt something collide with his body. Opening his eyes, he lifted his head off the pillow to find Edric, his four-year-old son. He placed a hand on his back and patted it. "What's wrong?"

"Mother's acting weird again," Edric whined, clinging to his father. His emerald eyes stared into his father's sapphire ones.

This concerned Clive. He sat up and his son fell into his lap. "Where is she?"

"Outside in the flower patch."

Clive picked up his son and put him on the bed, ruffling his sable locks. "I'll go check on her. Why don't you go see how Lily and Ambrosia are doing?"

Edric's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yay! I get to play with the chocobos!"

With a smile, Clive watched his son dash downstairs and out the front door of the cottage. He walked down the stairs to see the various pots of flowers on the table. He smiled and knew exactly what was wrong with Lyra.

Stepping outside the cottage, he looked across the way to the flower patch by the river. He saw Lyra sitting in her green dress with flowers in the center of the patch. Her eyes were closed with her legs tucked underneath her. A gentle smile was etched across her face.

Quietly, he approached his wife to avoid startling her. Once he was close enough, he kneeled in front of her. Gently, he reached out and combed a few golden strands behind her ear. This caused her to open her eyes. "Daydreaming again?"

"Mm, perhaps," she grinned. "I thought you were still sleeping."

"A certain someone woke me up."

"Ah..." Lyra looked over to the small stables where Ambrosia and Lily were. She saw her son getting some love and affection from the chocobos. "Did Edric call me weird again?"

Clive chuckled. "He did."

She sighed in disbelief. "Of course..."

"He loves you," he said. "But not more than I do."

She laughed. "I didn't realize you were competing. Don't ask me to pick a favorite, though. You both have an important place in my heart."

When they heard Edric laughing, they looked to the stables and saw the little boy running around with Ambrosia chasing after him. They knew the chocobo wouldn't hurt him and was simply playing.

"We should teach him to ride soon," Clive remarked. "And perhaps pick out his own chocobo."

"I think he would enjoy that very much," Lyra smiled fondly. "Will you teach him the way of the sword? The world is at peace, but there will always be misfits."

"Only if he desires." Clive met his wife's gaze. "When should we tell him the truth of his heritage?"

"Which part? The one where he's actually a prince or a demigod?" She asked.

"Both," he replied. "We wouldn't want him casting spells before he understood who he truly is."

Lyra glanced down at the flowers. Although she had given up her immortality, she still possessed her magic and other godly abilities. She knew it was possible her powers would be inherited by their son. "We will tell him after he returns from Sanbreque. Joshua should be here soon to pick him up."

"And then we'll have this place all to ourselves." Clive picked a blue flower and slid it into her hair. He smiled as he gazed into her eyes. "Perhaps we should have our own adventure like old times while he's gone."

Just then, Edric dashed over and leapt onto Lyra's back. He wrapped his arms around her neck. "Mother! When can we visit Eastpool again?"

She grabbed her son's arms gently. "We just visited last week. You already wish to go again?"

"Mhmm!" Edric smiled. "I want to see Uncle Wade and Cousin Oscar again! Oh! And can we see Aunt Martha too?"

The goddess smiled in amusement. He would call all of their friends either aunt or uncle. She found it adorable and never corrected him since they were all family by bond. "Did you already forget? Uncle Joshua will be taking you to Sanbreque today. We'll go once you return from the empire, all right?"

"Yay!" Edric clung to her and kissed her on the cheek.

Clive smiled at his wife and son. At times like this, he couldn't believe he had a peaceful life and a loving wife and son. It almost felt unreal sometimes.

A few minutes later, Clive and Lyra heard someone approaching the cottage. When they saw Joshua had arrived, they pointed to him and Edric gasped dramatically before letting go of his mother. "Uncle Joshua!" He dashed over to him.

Joshua lifted the child into his arms with a bright smile. "It is good to see you again, Edric."

"Mother said you're taking me to visit Sanbreque!" The child excitedly said.

"That I am." Holding the little boy, Joshua walked over to Lyra and Clive. "Thank you for entrusting Edric to me, Brother, Lyra."

"He loves you, Joshua," Lyra smiled. "Will you be taking him to see Dion?"

Joshua glanced at the child before replying, "Only if Edric wishes."

"I do!" Edric shouted.

Joshua laughed. "It seems a visit to His Majesty is in order."

"If it's too much trouble for Dion, skip the visit," Clive stated.

"Father!" Edric whined.

"Now, don't pout," Lyra chided her son. "Dion is a busy man. You wouldn't want to cause him any trouble, would you?"

Edric puffed out his cheeks in displeasure, but he didn't argue. "No..."

"Good." Lyra stood up and walked into the cottage. She grabbed a satchel and returned seconds later. She handed the bag to Joshua. "Here are Edric's things. It should be enough for your travels."

Joshua took the satchel with his free hand. "I shall see to his every need."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you for this, Joshua."

"Please," he said. "I am joyful to take him off your hands for a while so you and Clive may get some time alone. I also find joy in Edric's company."

"Uncle Joshua, may we go?" Edric asked, eager to leave.

Joshua nodded. "Of course."

"Safe travels, you two," Clive said as he came to stand next to Lyra.

Joshua left with the excited Edric. Lyra waved back to her son when he waved to her and Clive with a bright smile. Clive followed suit until his brother and son were out of sight.

"I should return to arranging the flowers," Lyra said.

Clive stopped her by grabbing her wrist. He pulled her away from the cottage and toward the river. "You've been overworking yourself these past few days. You're in bed after me yet arise in the early hours of the morning. With Edric gone for a short while, you need only focus on yourself."

She let a sigh slip. "But the flowers..."

"Will be there after you've rested," he told her. "Come, my lady."

Lyra gave in and allowed Clive to tug her over to the river. Before she knew it, she was sitting between his legs while he leaned against the trunk of a tree. Her back reclined against his chest, she felt him combing his fingers through her golden locks. She had forgotten to pull her hair up into her usual ponytail whenever she was working around the cottage.

"Clive..." She mumbled his name knowingly.

He smirked. "Yes?"

"I know what you're doing."

"I am merely trying to relax you."

"Well, it's working."

He kissed the top of her head. "Rest, Lyra."

Sighing in defeat, she closed her eyes and within seconds, she was fast asleep.

. · : · . ✧ • ✦ • ✧ . · : · .

By the time Lyra woke up, she was surprised to see the moon. She gasped in surprise and pulled away from Clive. "By the heavens!" She looked to her husband. "How long have I been asleep?!"

"Quite a while," Clive answered.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"You were sleeping soundly," he said. "Also, I...may have fallen asleep as well."

Tucking her legs under her, Lyra looked up to the bright moon above. Whenever they spent nights like this, she was reminded of the time they arrived on the shore of Ash after she and Jill were captured by Barnabas. She could never forget the intimate night they spent on the beach and the words they exchanged. It was also the night he made his promise to see the moon again, which he fulfilled the night after they wedded. Her thoughts then trailed to  her son. "I hope Edric will enjoy his time in Sanbreque and not drive Joshua too crazy."

Clive smirked in amusement. "You miss him already?"

"Of course I do! He's our son, after all. Neither of us can deny that, especially you. He's a spitting image of you." She stood up and flattened the front of her dress.

Clive got to his feet. He stepped closer to his wife and slipped his hand around her waist to place it against the small of her back. He gently pulled her toward him. "Perhaps it's time we had another one."

Lyra blinked in shock. "You mean another child? Is one not enough?"

"No," he smiled. "I need a little one who looks like you."

"You...want a little girl? Well, that's—"

Clive silenced her with a quick peck on her lips before hoisting her over his shoulder. He smirked at hearing her yelp in surprise and at feeling her clutch the back of his shirt.

"Not this again!" Lyra wailed as he carried her inside the cottage and to their bedroom on the second floor. She let out a small grunt when he dumped her onto the bed. "Heavens..." She glared feebly at him when he climbed over her body. She reached up and grabbed the fabric of his shirt. "I am no mere sack you can simply toss over your shoulder whenever you please. As a woman with two functional legs, I can walk."

"Where's the fun in that?" Clive asked, smirking. Grabbing both of her wrists with one of his hands, he pinned her hands above her head. Situated between her thighs, his other hand pulled up her dress and caressed the soft skin of her leg. "Edric will return within the week. We have much time to ourselves in his absence."

"And you want to have an amorous congress in hopes we shall conceive a daughter," Lyra said. "What if our next child isn't a girl?"

"Then we'll keep trying." His hand on her leg gravitated upward to her thigh. "The larger the family, the better."

She smiled at his words. "All right, you win. Should I take the lead or...?"

"No," he said, staring fondly into her eyes. "You've done enough. Allow me, my lady."

Her smile grew. "As you wish, my lord."

. · : · . ✧ • ✦ • ✧ . · : · .

A few hours after their heated night, Clive awoke a couple of hours after the sun had rose. As usual, he was the last to wake. Lyra was already up and about. He looked around the cottage and found her by the river. Watching her closely, he realized she was placing flower petals in the river. He walked over to her as she finished.

"It's already been another year," Clive said, watching the petals as they were carried downstream.

"Yes," Lyra said. "Though I wish to visit my mother's grave, I promised Edric we would travel to Eastpool once he returned. I'm positive she will understand our late arrival."

Clive wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side. "Lady Hanna was always a patient soul. As was Lord Murdoch."

She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. "They truly were." She lifted up the flower she was holding and gazed at the red petals. "Though they are no longer with us, I know they are smiling down on us. They would be overjoyed to know we finally achieved the future we sought. The Blight is fading, the Mothercrystals are gone, and magic is no longer obtainable for mortals. The fear of the crystal's curse is gone and Dominants and Bearers are no more. Balance is finally being restored and people no longer have to fear being used until their bodies turn to stone."

Clive looked up to the blue sky above. "The world is flourishing and we are no longer needed to guide its healing. Now, we live in peace. Being here with you and Edric is a dream come true, one I didn't realize how much I desired until we started our new lives. I would never trade these past years with you and him for anything else."

She wound an arm around his waist. "Neither would I." She then looked up at him, her smile blooming. "I love you, Clive."

He smiled back and nuzzled his nose against the top of her head. "I love you too, Lyra."

. · : · . ✧ • END • ✧ . · : · .

A/N: And that's that! I'm happy and sad this story is over with, but I am proud I was able to complete it! Thank you to everyone who read this story all the way through and showed it some love by leaving comments and/or votes! Across the Stars (Joshua Rosfield x OC) will be the next book, but I'm not exactly sure when it will be published as Baldur's Gate 3 has taken over my life at the moment! If I do post one-shots/short stories of Clive and Lyra, they will be posted after the epilogue. Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~