Well, i do believe this is the chapter that most of you have been waiting for. It only took me twenty chapters to get there, but then i love my slow burn stories so yay!

This chapter is dedicated to Isaintilus for your hilarious chapter commentary, it made my week.

Chapter Twenty



Aurelia had the pleasant surprise of entertaining Kailen's sister Elwyn, her husband Niclas and their two year old son, Trystan (named after the deceased older brother of Kailen and Elwyn) that afternoon in Kailen's hut.

Aurelia immediately liked Elwyn and Niclaas upon meeting them. Elwyn for her kindness on the first day Aurelia had arrived in the village and Niclas for his easy quiet companionship. Where Elwyn was teasing, Niclas was serious. Where Elwyn was talkative, Niclas was a man of few words. They seemed to be the opposite ends of the personality spectrum, but together they balanced each other out harmoniously. They had that easy going way with each other that spoke of a long happy marriage and the love could be seen in every glance and every touch.

Their little boy, Trystan, seemed to take after his mother. He was a very curious soul, hands touching everything within reach, speaking the language of the very young, and very affectionate towards Aurelia. Within a few minutes of being introduced, Trystan was clutching at the folds of her dress and demanding to be held in her arms which she readily obeyed.

It was at this point that Kailen walked in and found Trystan dozing quietly in her arms as she gently rocked him back and forth.

It took Aurelia a few moments to realise that silence had descended on the hut and, glancing up, she met his eyes from across the room.

He seemed transfixed by the sight, his eyes constantly wandering from her face to the small child in her arms and then back again. The charged silence seemed to stretch between them to the point that it was fast becoming uncomfortable for all that were involved.

She struggled to think of what to say to fill in the gap. "Do you, uh, do you want to hold him?"

Her words seemed to snap him out of it as he rubbed the back of his neck in a self conscious gesture that didn't really fit with what she knew of him. "He looks to be quite content in your arms, bright eyes." the nickname sent her heart into quick time. "I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Little Trystan gets cuddles from his Uncle Kailen all the time," Elwyn said with a small smirk. "I'm sure he can give up some of the time to you, Aurelia."

"I'm not going to lie, it would have been a wrench on the heart to hand him over," Aurelia teased, resuming her soothing sway back and forth.

"Motherhood would suit you," Elwyn said from her seat by her husband, his arm slung loosely around her waist. "Wouldn't you agree, Kailen?"

"I think it suits her very well," Kailen said in a choked voice, shooting a scathing look at his smug sister. "Far better than you, sweet sister."

"In sibling speak that means Kailen loves his sister very much," Niclas said to Aurelia with amusement. "It's all about the feelings behind reverse sentiment. Insults are simply veiled compliments."

Aurelia laughed softly. "I can imagine."

"And to what do i owe the pleasure of my family's company today?" Kailen asked quickly to change the subject. Aurelia found it incredibly endearing.

"Merely a social call, brother." Elwyn answered with an innocent smile. "And to see if Aurelia is settling in and needed anything."

"That and Elwyn wanted to check up on you," Niclas said to Kailen cheerfully. "She's worse than a curious neighbour."

Elwyn elbowed him in the side and he made a small whoosh sound as air was expelled from his lungs at the jab. "You're supposed to be on my side." She hissed.

Niclas rubbed gingerly at his abused ribs. "I am on your side, sweetness. I'm lso very aware that now Aurelia i here, Kailen and i will have to look out for each other. It's a male thing."

Elwyn narrowed her eyes on him and he almost cowered under her gaze. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"It's man versus woman." Kailen supplied helpfully as he stood closer to Aurelia, his hand smoothing down Trystan's soft dark hair. He could fit the whole of the child's head in the palm of his hand they were so big.

"Exactly," Niclas nodded. "Survival of the fittest."

"Is that how it is?" Aurelia murmured, looking up at Kailen's laughing eyes and she matched his smile. "I'm okay with that. Elwyn could take you guys on any day of the week. So i feel confident team woman is going to come out on top."

The laughing eyes turned molten and his voice lowered until only she could hear. "On top?"

She couldn't hold his gaze any longer and they dropped to Trystan still sleeping. "Be quiet, there are little ears in the vicinity."

Kailen's lips curled up. "I'm sure he doesn't mind."

"I like her more each time i see her," Elwyn said decisively as she stood up. "Welcome to the family, Aurelia."

Aurelia assumed she meant family as in 'tribe' so she smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, we'll leave you two to your evening." Niclas said as he followed his wife's example and stood up, relieving Aurelia of her little charge. Trystan barely made a fuss against his father's shoulder. "It's good to finally meet you in person, Aurelia." he said as he clasped her hand in the one that didn't have hold of his son.

"You too," she returned, giving his hand a friendly squeeze.

Brother and sister embraced and Kailen clapped Niclas on the shoulder, mindful of the child, in a companionable farewell as they left.

They were finally on their own.

Despite the easy camaraderie they had between them on previous occasions, there now lay a pregnant tension that made it all very awkward. It was painfully stilted, an embarrassed silence that made them both squirm with awareness and struggling to fill it with clumsy needless words.

"I saw Vaughan today," she said at the same time as Kailen said, "Were my sister and her husband here long?"

They both smiled at each other, their laughs awkward, before he motioned for her to continue.

Aurelia rubbed at her arm in her own self conscious gesture. "I saw Vaughan at Renna's. He was getting his ribs bound after sword practise with Bran."

Kailen smirked. "Pain is a good instructor. He'll learn fast under Bran's tutelage."

Aurelia winced as she headed towards the table behind Kailen where she had left the bandages she had been wrapping up for Renna's use before Elwyn and Niclas had turned up. "If you say so. I-"

Kailen stopped her progress with a gentle hand on her waist. The touch was electrifying and it stopped her fast in her tracks. She looked up at him, hyper aware of their proximity especially as Kailen made no attempt to put some distance between them.

They stood so close to each other that they were breathing the same air.

"Are you happy here?" He asked softly, his eyes holding her gaze captive. She couldn't have broken away from them even if she had wanted to. "Are you happy here... with us?"

"I-" It was such a loaded question that Aurelia flailed at what to say. Was she happy? "I miss my family." She ended up saying. "I miss my friends. I miss knowing what is expected of me as a daughter and a Roman woman."

His eyes dropped from hers for a moment, emotions warring on his face before he stepped back.

She felt panic at his drawing away from her and she hastily back tracked. How could she explain it to this man without causing offence? "I can't say that i'm happy with being kidnapped at sword point or spirited away as a War Prize, but... but despite this all, i... i don't know how to put it." She said lamely, frustration at her lack of coherence on how she was truely feeling.

"It suits you," Kailen said thoughtfully. "Being a Briton."

And Kailen had just summed up all of her roiling complicated feelings inside of her. It suited her, she liked it here. Deep down, she could see herself living here permanently as one of the Silures. "Yes," she said breathlessly.

It was like the very thing he had been waiting for. He reached out and drew him to her, her breath stuttering with nerves, and kissed her.

The first press of Kailen's lips against Aurelia's was a light caress, almost like a question, and Aurelia held herself so still, all of her attention fixed on the way Kailen's lips grazed her own. Kailen must have taken her silence as permission as he tilted his head for a better angle and kissed her again, the contact still soft but more confident.

Aurelia was sure she should say something, but when Kailen let go of her wrist and took a step to bring them closer to each other, his hands settling on Aurelia's hips and his teeth closing over Aurelia's lower lip, Aurelia felt her eyes slip shut instinctively, and her hands slide up his arms, revelling in the smooth skin, to grip at his biceps.

She would realise, later that she had been the one to deepen the kiss, for her tongue to tentatively touch his lips in permission and for him to open his mouth. That Kailen had made a low sound of approval in the back of his throat before clutching her tighter to him, taking over her with gentle authority. That ever present line between them had finally disappeared, as if the kiss washed it away, and nothing stood in the way.

Aurelia was all too conscious of where every one of Kailen's fingertips pressed against her skin, like hot brands, of the way Kailen thoroughly kissed her, so achingly slow and deliberate that she hummed with it.

It wasn't her first kiss. There had been stolen moments with an old friend she used to know when she was thirteen years old, a family friend that had been a adventure companion and close confidante. It had been purely innocent, a fleeting moment of a closed mouth kiss whilst they had played a game of hoops in the garden of his parent's villa. The contact had been a surprise, but she hadn't pulled away. It had sent butterflies to flare up in her stomach before the guilt of it not being Aquilla put an end to their games and their friendship.

The point was that this kiss wasn't anything like that childish fumbling. For a start, it certainly wasn't innocent. There was purpose there, knowledge of what he was doing to her, making her legs go weak and shaky beneath her. It forced her to grip him tighter to her, never wanting to let go. It made heat creep up from her chest to suffuse her whole face, make her skin tight across her bones in a new and exciting way, as if she was growing to big for it. Her heartbeat quickened from the contact, to know that Kailen felt the same for her as she felt for him was thrilling.

It felt like... home. In his arms, wrapped up in his scent, she had finally found home.



~

The end.



Just kidding! That would be boring. We still have the last third to go yet with impending war looming over the Silure's heads. I will have to apologise for this chapter for being a little short compared to the rest, there was another scene after this but it didn't feel like it had such a satisfying end to it as this part did.

I'm afraid there will not be an update next sunday as i am celebrating a year with my boyfriend for a weekend break (Translation: Celebrating a year with putting up with me), but updates will resume on Sunday 20th October.