When she heard Tidus apologize to her, her heart nearly broke. The last she wanted was for him to feel responsible for this whole mess. It was the Lord and his despicable daughter’s fault. If anyone other than them should be blamed it should be her. She was a powerful creature and felt shame at being taken so easily. Red eyes softened as she looked up to him and squeezed his hand reassuringly. “No, my love. This was not your fault. Let the blame lie with those disgusting humans.” A hand caressed his cheek in comfort and she placed a soft and loving kiss on his lips. 

She could feel her legs buckling. “I’m sorry, my love, I need you to carry me.” Tidus complied without thought and scooped her up into his arms and into a carriage awaiting them outside. When they pulled up to the manor, he carried her from the carriage to the house where a buzzing host of healers from the Bastion were waiting. She was brought to their room and laid on the bed. First came the midwives who checked and informed her that everything seemed to be well with the child. She breathed a sigh of relief. 

Next came the healers. Being bathed in the healing energy she saw her strength return and the tiredness fade from her. Any bruises on her body faded quickly as if they had never existed. After, she was helped to bathe and remove any remnants of the wolfsbane from her body. They brushed her hair and lightly dotted her with exotic oils. When all was said and done, she thanked those of her faith for seeing to her and asked them to leave her and Tidus so that they may rest. She could see the tiredness in his eyes as well. 

Zora took Tidus’ hand and let him feel the soft kick of the baby within. She thought it might help soothe his anxiety. “See. He is alright, my love. I am alright. It’s over.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face there. His scent was more comforting to her than almost anything in the world. She leaned up and placed a soft and lingering kiss on his lips. They both needed to simply rest in each other’s company. 

She pulled him to bed and when they were both safely wrapped in the blankets, she snuggled up to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Her fingers traced around his bare chest methodically, seeking to relax him into sleep. Before long Tidus would find the movements had stopped and that her breathing had deepened into sleep. There was not a single place she felt more protected. 

A part of him was a nervous wreck as he wondered how their child fared. Being subjected to such torture that Zora had unjustly gone through, he wasn’t sure how the state of the baby would be in. And even if things were alright now, who knew of what potential harm they would be put through later. It angered him not to let Ramsey or his daughter perish for their crimes, but in time, they would be reduced to nothing but shells of themselves. He would make that his mission as revenge took hold of him for a brief time before he remembered what was really important. Once he made it inside, his eyes quickly sought for Zora and the rest of the room took their leave. At least she looked and acted like her former self as she took his hand and he smiled as he felt the movement. The child was okay. His mind, which had been caught up in a maelstrom for days was slowly easing itself back into peace.

“I know. I just should have made sure that nothing happened to you or him. I should have been there, or at least one of my best men to escort you.” He felt that it was still a failure on his part that allowed for the events recent to take place. But he was finding comfort in her touch, in her kiss as he eagerly took to her own lips.

Before long, the two were retiring for the night; his arm snaked around her tightly as if he was afraid she wouldn’t be there if he held on any looser. His mind had been a battlefield and it took a while for Tidus to ease himself into slumber, but only after Zora herself had.


The days that came after flew by quickly. The healers made their rounds, constantly checking up on Zora and the unborn child. They would occasionally seek out the lord in how he was faring, but he would tell them he was fine. In truth, he was wrapped up in a ball of emotions. Happiness, despair, guilt, anger. It was unlike him to be caught in such moods at once and while in his office, he had thought about Reaver’s words from before. About how he was granted permission to ask for her hand in marriage. Of course, he was planning on doing so once the child was born to make it official, but he supposes that he couldn’t wait much longer. He spent the rest of the day tending to errands in relation to it before he would come to visit Zora again.

Once again, he came inside and the healers made their exit before he came over to her side. “How are you faring, dearest?” He stood by the bed at first and then slowly gotten onto one knee and took her hands into his own. “I’ve been thinking alot lately about our situation and the child will be here before we know it. And I don’t care to wait on this moment any longer.”

He reached into his pocket and slid onto her finger a blue diamond ring with smaller diamonds etched into the sides. “Normally tradition says we’d be engaged once the baby was born, but I think we can rush things a little bit”, he smiled. “Zora, I want you to become my wife once our son graces this world and lead Graylhope along with me..”

The next few days were days of rest. Zora read and saw to papers from her and Tidus’ bed, never one to let her duties fall to the wayside for any reason. Their son was ever active kicking and flipping like the active baby he would soon be. Healers came every day and bathed her in healing energy and checked the status of the child. She took long herbal baths and Tidus rarely left her alone. When he was not there, guards were always present. She did not see them, but she could sense the ones posted outside of the doorway. More than likely it was some of his best. He had felt unnecessary guilt for what had happened. 

Zora had finished her papers for the day and was receiving the last bits of healing energy when Tidus came into the room. “I am faring well. So is our son. He is ever active. He gives me little rest.” She smiled, clearly not upset by this. “Like his father.” The healers bowed and departed. He knelt by the bed and her brow furrowed as she wondered at what he was doing. 

Her eyes followed as he reached into his pocket. Out he pulled one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen. It was a rare blue diamond with smaller clear diamonds hugging the sides. A hand covered her mouth as tears welled in her eyes. Of course she knew this day would come eventually, but to come now had been a complete surprise. Her loving gaze was settled on him as he slipped the ring onto her shaking hand. She nodded yes, even though it was more than clear from the get go that she would accept. 

“I want nothing more in this world,” she breathed as she pulled him to her and took his face in her hands to lay a passionate kiss on his lips. Zora looked at the ring sparkling on her finger. It looked so natural there. “I love you, Tidus. More than you know.” A hand brushed at his long platinum locks. “We can make this kingdom greater than it already is.” 

Zora moved over in the bed, pulling Tidus into its warmth. His starkly cold skin was a contrast against the warmth of the covers and the warmth of her own skin. “He is coming soon. I don’t know how to explain it. I just feel it.” She lay against Tidus, fingers running absently across his chest. “What would you have us name him?” She smiled up at him. Zora could spend forever in these moments with him.