Leaving it all behind hadn't been easy for either of them, but Nero felt in his heart of hearts that it was the only way they would ever find the happiness the two of them deserved. Without the shackles of their previous life (not that he would ever consider either of their other loves or children shackles), without the constant threat of warfare looming over them, without a care in the world to sour their unity; Nero wondered now if his first wife had been onto something with the whole thing. Why not? Why not abandon everything? He had been flicked aside rather casually, so why shouldn't he do the same?

It felt empowering to take back his own life and now, with Nazonal, he felt things could truly begin. The lion strolled into the unfamiliar territory with his head high, unafraid of what was to come next because it wouldn't hold a candle to the bullshit the two of them had suffered through in the months past. "Ready?" he asked his mate, smiling over his shoulder with an encouraging nod.