Nosdyn had always had trouble sleeping, after her death...he never would sleep again. Holding Xyllea in his arms, he knew there would be the key to his recovery. Illsandra would have wanted it that way...for him to move on and just live. I miss you... He thought quietly to himself. Lancaster's boy had been correct though...she would have been in a better place at that point. Whatever she'd been struggling with, dealing with inside...Nosdyn had been too blind to see it.

He would never make that mistake again. Illsandra had changed him...in their screwed up world...where things often spiraled out of control far quicker than they would have liked. His wife saw fit to look past the fact that he was a lowly Demon. "I was an idiot." He said quietly out loud. And the woman in his arm stirred, waking up when she heard that.

She looked up towards him. "My lord?" She asked.

Nosdyn nodded. "I was thinking of her...maybe if I had done something different, or paid closer attention..." He was always going to hold himself responsible for her death.

Xyllea put her hand on the side of his face gently, his skin was warm to the touch. She'd often seen Illsandra do such things...and for whatever reason her manner of interacting with The Demon...had worked. She'd done something to him...Demons were known to be cold and distant. But she'd changed Nosdyn somehow...she had a big pair of shoes to try to fit in..but she was putting in the effort. "I...cannot ever replace her." She said to him quietly. "I know there is always going to be that pain in there for the rest of our lives. But, My Lord, this I DO swear. If I can help you recover, I will do everything I can to do so."

Nosdyn nodded quietly, because of Illsandra...talking about his emotions had become a little easier for him. His people were a battle-hardened and war-scarred tribe. Far too often Soldiers became detached from reality. But not Nosdyn, he had recovered something of his humanity back. "I would have died for her, in exchange for her if I could have." Nosdyn said quietly. It was a profound thing he was telling her.

"Sometimes things happen we have no control over." She responded quietly and sighed.

He nodded. "Xyllea...for what this is all worth..thank you. For tonight and every other night to come."

Xyllea, at the point understood Illsandra's teachings. He DID have a difficult time expressing his feelings, a lot of Men did. But because of what Nosdyn was...his people's burdens would always haunt him. "I envied her you know." Xyllea revealed to him at that point. "She got to you, reached you somehow and for that...I envied her."

Nosdyn smiled softly at that point. "Not many would have shown me the kindness and understanding she did. She looked past...what I am. What I always will be." He looked at her at that point. "You know me at this point as well as she did. Do you see a Monster, or something else, Xyllea?" He asked of her.

Xyllea thought about that for a moment. "I see a Champion." She said quietly. She had not been trying to answer the question as Illsandra would have,but rather with her own, honest answer.

"You are a good woman." He said quietly. And kissed her deeply once more...that night would be for the two of them alone.