Angela's POV

Aphmau was the first to speak.She seemed to have a worried tone to her voice."....Angela...is that a shadow knight?",She asked as I walked over towards my head guard,who was calm even though I knew it annoyed her when people assumed things once they found out that she was a shadow knight.

She didn't deserve to be treated differently.

"Yes,this is Skylar,my head guard.However,I'm surprised none of you recognize her in the slightest.",I replied,chuckling as I stood at her side,while my other guards moved off of the boat and towards the village.They wanted to see their families and I wasn't going to stop them.

Garroth spoke up."She's the shadow knight we found that night.That you took down in a split second.",He stated simply before he paused and then continued."Well,I apologize for...making assumptions then.It seems like you are now you are a respectful person.I'm Garroth.",As he spoke,he walked towards Skylar,who smiled and shook his hand lightly as he held it out to her.

"Thank you,it's a pleasure to meet you,Garroth.I'm Skylar.I'm assuming the female in purple is Aphmau.The woman I've heard wonders about.",Skylar stated with a beaming smile before she walked over to Aphmau,the two beginning to chat.

I looked at Garroth smiling at him before I turned around and saw a group of the children in the village sprinting towards me."Irene help me....",I whispered before the children reached me,giddy and exploding with questions until they saw Garroth.

All of them gasped in union and then moved towards him,staring at the blonde in awe."Told you that you have fans~."I whistled before I moved along the dock,seeing Hannah,Liza's caretaker while I am away.

She carefully moved over to me,holding little Liza in her arms.The child was asleep,a red blanket wrapped around the one year old."Angela.The village is holding a meeting later tonight about trade and they want you to be there to make the decision final.",Hannah spoke softly,looking at Liza before I took my sleeping daughter in my arms."Alright.I'll be there."I whispered before I turned back around and saw the group approaching.

The children were currently chatting away with Skylar while Aphmau,Garroth,and the others stood around me.They were looking down at Liza.

The child had blonde hair and grey eyes.If someone was making an assumption,they would think that little Liza was Garroth's and I's child.However,she was adopted.Her parents were attacked by bandits...and we're now buried in the woods,with marked graves that were surrounded by roses.

"So she's a little over one years old,correct?",Katelyn asked and I nodded."Well she's a definitely cutie,I think."Aphmau and Garroth said at the same time,the rest of us chuckling before we moved off the docks.

Garroth's POV

Already I knew this place was as big as Scaleswind.There were multiple docks with rather large ships at each of them.The walls around the village were tall,making of brick and wood.The inside was beautiful,bustling with life.Roses surrounded a large fountain,that had been made around a statue of Lady Irene herself.

The houses were big and small,children,parents,grandparents,and just adults were moving around the village.We move along a path past the fountain and towards the plaza,that was decorated.Streamers hung from posts,along with fairy lights.

Once Angela was at the plaza,people stood up."Surprise~!Happy Birthday,Lord Angela~."A few villagers exclaimed,other people arriving by entering from another path that led to the plaza.

Angela smiled brightly,the baby awakening and watching the group before little Liza giggled."Thank you,though you all didn't have to do this for me.",Angela spoke softly before I looked at Aphmau,who looked at me and then the both of us looked at Angela."It's YOUR birthday?!"We asked and the brunette nodded her head.

"I forgot to be honest,since I was so happy you all were coming here and such,I forgot.",Angela laughed and Aphmau dramatically gasped."Anglea!You should have told us!To where I wouldn't feel as guilty about NOT getting you something.",Aphmau stated dramatically,the baby continuing to giggle as I nodded my head in agreement.

"Well,your presence is just enough for me.I don't need anything else from you all.",I stated."Now....shall we go party~?",I asked,winking at all of them before I stepped over to the center of the plaza.

Liza and I were greeted,along with Aphmau and then others.

It was rather pleasant.Aphmau and I had a long discussion about multiple topics.Honestly,it was nice to talk to someone else who also was a Lord,and get to ask her for a little bit of advice.After all,I had been running this village pretty much by myself for the past few years.

Well,I didn't run the show by myself really,since Skylar and most of the villagers had leant a hand to me when I needed it most.
I had learned that sometimes I had to be dependent on others during that time.

After a few hours of chatting and dancing passed,the party ended.Hannah took Liza to my home to go to bed an hour into the party.
Aphmau left an hour before the party ended,along with Lady Katelyn.

Needless to say,fifteen minutes after the party was over,everyone had left to go to bed.I wouldn't blame them though,since it was now past midnight as I sat in the grass.The villagers and I had quickly cleaned up to where they could go home quickly.

It wasn't until I felt a head rest itself on top of mine when I realize I wasn't alone.

Rather quickly,I turned around,unsheathing my old sapphire sword,pointing the tip of it at...Garroth's neck.

He chuckled,"So you still use that sword,hm?".I shot a look at him and nodded my head as the blonde carefully moved the tip of my sword away from his neck.Sheathing the blade,I watched as he sat down next to me as I turned back around.

"I kept...everything that was given to me at Phoenix Drop.Heck...once I had established Hetra,I went ahead and had tombstones made for those who went missing.I had lost hope in you all coming back."I whispered softly,looking down at the green grass underneath me.

"The 'funeral' for you all was supposed to be today....since I had planned to go to Phoenix Drop and then return to Hetra for the funeral.",As I said that,a look of sadness washed over Garroth's face.He draped an arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer to him.

~Garroth's POV~

"But...I was so stupid to do that.To loose hope and to think you all were dead.I'm pretty sure all of you could go through the Nether and come back without a single scratch on you."She exaggerated,chuckling a bit.

The realization of how long we had actually been gone finally hit me.And it hit me hard.

Everyone had waited on us for so long and then were beginning to loose hope when we finally returned.I had missed so much of Angela's,and many other people's lives.It was utterly insane.

"Heh..yeah....So,you've been raising an entire VILLAGE and a child by yourself hmm?Pretty impressive."I poked her cheek as I spoke,earning a small giggle out of her.

"No not entirely.Skylar has helped me out here and there with the village and Hannah has helped me with little Liza.So I haven't really been doing this all by myself.",Angela replied before she leaned her head on my shoulder.

I blushed and said nothing for a few minutes.

We chatted for a while,catching up on things,tossing in a few jokes here and there.It was rather nice really,to finally relax.I'm not quite sure how long we talked for,but once the sun began to rise we knew we had stayed up all night without even realizing it.

Somehow we had managed not to fall asleep.

I'm not quite sure when we decided to get up,away from our little paradise near the plaza.

Angela had to leave for a little bit to check on Liza.She came back ten minutes later."She's still asleep.",Angela spoke softly to me as she approached.I nodded my head in simple reply before we began to walk towards the Hotel where everyone else was staying.

Aphmau was apparently already awake along with the others as they all sat around a large round table.The group greeted us once we pulled up two chairs and sat down.Everyone seemed rather calm and at peace as we chatted about multiple subjects.

However,that peace only lasted for a mere hour before silence fell over us as the ground beneath us began to shake.