Emalia's honeymoon floated by like a gossamer cloud of bliss. While she had initially been eager to set off once more on the journey, she found that Colin's words were true: "The world isn't going anywhere. It's ok to take some time for yourself." She, however, did not expect that once she allowed the world to wait, that she would begin to change her mind.
Sanria had discovered the two were there (how, Emalia did not know other than her Uncle), and had come to visit. It was a shock to see her mother and it made Emalia frustrated, too. Her mother didn't seem at all interested in Colin, but in being upset that Emalia didn't include her in her life. It was even more upsetting hearing about her mother and Sir Throm. In Emalia's mind, her mother's trip would end with the reunion of her mother and her *father* - the two true lovers - not this farce. Sanria's visit did eventually end with her motherly warnings to Colin ("You had better take care of my daughter."), and her motherly advice to Emalia ("You know, I'm sure Throm would let you back into Guardians if you would ask"). Emalia took the words with even less than a grain of salt and as her mother left, she took refuge in Colin's chest.
'What does it matter,' she thought, 'when they're all dead anyway?' And this sliver of thought, coupled with Colin's words, coupled with the tablet Jessiah had given her made her begin to wonder just how many families she would be sending to the slaughter and her realization that even IF her mother refused to see that she was made for her father (and not Sir Throm), she still didn't want them all to die. Not really - no matter how angry they made her. Indeed, who was she to condemn everyone?
This sent the following day into a full-throated burst of sublimity: walks in the woods, picnics, and other things that come with the territory of those being newly wed. Colin and Emalia fell asleep in one another's arms and woke to a third day filled with the promise of the same.
Emalia felt a weight had lifted from her that she was unaware even resided upon her. Finally, she felt unburdened and happy and even delighted with the prospect of simply settling down and having her family with Colin. She'd been amused more than a few times at how her sash wasn't quite fitting the same. She was only barely showing any sign of a child within - but to her - she'd grown a mountain on her body.
The verdurous air of the day had completely enveloped Emalia and Colin as they returned to the cavern. The sparkling of the crystals and the din of the falls that cascaded over the entry brought them closer and seemed to cast upon them a spell which compelled them to whisper sweet nothings. This was their position when Nephesh stumbled into the cavern looking unkempt, unwashed, and quite irritated.
