With the permission of Sirius, Magnus had quickly made preparations to take some time off and travel in search of a nice place to take Deathbelle for a short vacation. Having not even laid his eyes upon her since his vision returned, he was more than eager to get the ball rolling and surprise her. He'd spent some time looking for a nice place for them to settle, even finding a nice castle that may be worth the time spent there. Upon further investigation, however, it seemed dusty and dirty and might bring the former empress some sense of sadness at her lack of a title. While she would always be his Queen, he didn't want her to be anything but happy on their trip. Eventually he located a large island, complete with a collection of structures that he couldn't readily identify. While it wasn't much cleaner than the castle, it would do. He spent a day or so at the site cleaning out a room for them to stay in, setting it up with all the things they would need to be comfortable.

He barely spent any time in the Armada when he returned, only enough time to give the final word to Sirius that he was leaving and to collect the last few things he needed for their trip there. It would take some time to get there, but it was worth the trip. He made the trip to Habari to inform Deathbelle of his idea and gave her the rest of the evening to get her things together. Once the morning came, Magnus was waiting just outside the borders to collect her so that they could begin their vacation.

---
The trip to the island was long, but hadn't seemed nearly as so with her company along the way. He kept the place a secret from her, hoping that she'd never visited the island before but was buzzing inside with excitement. He could see, he could see her, and they finally got some alone time away from the prying eyes of the Empire and the Armada. It would just be them, for once.

As they came up to the beach across from the Island, Magnus stopped and smiled at his Queen. "There it is," He smiled a toothy grin, his tail wagging behind him in excitement he could no longer hold in.

"Speech!"

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Deathbelle had been filled with joy when she heard that Magnus had his sight returned ot him, she would have continued to love him without but she knew how much easier his life would be if he could use those beautiful eyes. She hadn’t seen him since then, he’d sent her word that he was preparing a surprise for her and she was quick to prepare herself for a trip outside Habari’s borders. She hadn’t left the Empire since kissing Sirius, and excitement filled her breast. Going out, on her own, with Magnus sounds like a dream come true.

Eventually Magnus appeared at Habari’s border to collect her and Deathbelle was swiftly swept off her paws. Walking, or focusing on how much walking, was the most difficult part of the journey, though she loved having him all to herself along the way. The woman often bumped her shoulder to his, or stole a few kisses when they paused at a scenic overlook.

Finally though, the pair of love birds stopped on the chilly beach to behold their island paradise. The once Empress leaned into Magnus’s shoulder as she felt the effects of such a long trip. A soft sigh left her lips as she began to relax. For now Magnus would be her whole world. She sighed softly and leaned against him, her dark features burying into his neck as her good behavior during the journey began to wear off. ”Just me and you.” She echoes, pushing forward to kiss his muzzle.

It took great effort on his part to not just stop somewhere else and.. take a few breaks along the way. It would be perfect once they got there, but it was difficult waiting. The ability to see her again was almost too much and the burning desire inside him was almost too strong to push down. The only thing distracting him from the feeling was their small talk along the way and the overall eagerness he had to finally get there.

When they'd arrived at the beach across from the island, he smiled and supported her leaning into him. He chuckled a bit at her words and met her kiss, returning the favor for a few moments. Reluctantly, he pulled away to speak again. "I've prepared a place for us inside that structure. We'll have to swim, but it's not as far as it looks." He pressed his lips into hers again, hoping the thought of swimming didn't wane her excitement. The water wouldn't be as cold down here as where they were from, but it wouldn't be a warm bath either.

"Speech!"

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Deathbelle felt that Magnus was holding himself back just as much as she was. The once Empress felt the natural pull of Magnus, the carnal desire on top of natural attraction and affection. Especially with his eyesight returned the vixen enjoyed giving him a show. Batting her eyelashes and offering an alluring sway of her hips as they walked. Somehow they refrained from enjoying each other any earlier and now that the destination was in sight Belle could hold herself back more fully. Still she enjoyed the suggestive kiss as they took in the sights. Magnus enjoyed the moment with her, but they couldn’t remain on the beach forever and he managed to pull away before he spoke.

”Going to get me wet one way or the other, hmm?” She chuckled amusedly at her naughty question before toeing the surf. ”Well, I hope you’re ready to warm me up when we get to the other side.” She kissed him back just as passionately but managed to pull away herself as she turned to the surf. It would chill her out before they warmed up the island together. With a deep breath and another glance at Magnus Deathbelle took to the ocean.

The distance wasn’t as far as it looked but by the time she dragged herself to the shore she was out of breath. The woman shook the excess salt water from her pelt and looked back to Magnus, ready for him to lead the way to their shelter.

"Any chance I get, my love." He purred in response to her comment, casting a smirk sideways at her and a wink. He had more than intentions of warming her up when they got there, though it would be hard to control himself once they hit the shore. He had to control himself until they got inside to the room he'd prepared, but the thought of the beach was more than tempting. Plans could change, right?

He heaved himself into the ocean to follow her, careful to stay behind in case she had any trouble navigating the waves on her own. She didn't, of course, but he'd rather be safe than sorry. Pulling himself onto the beach beside her, he quickly shook to remove the chilly water from his coat and glanced towards Deathbelle. "We're here." He smirked, coming towards her to press his lips into hers. Now would be the start of their island resort vacation, something they both desperately needed.

She loved the response that Magnus gave her but the two of them were somehow able to focus and get into the ocean so their destination might finally be met. She caught glimpses of Magnus behind her as they swam to the island, and he was swift to pull himself up behind and shake himself just as she. She flashed her bright pearly teeth in amusement before he could close the distance once more and touched their lips together. Deathbelle felt every time they kissed that she could fall away into the void and be content with her lot. The world disappeared and his lips were the only focus she could keep.

She was forced to pull away as a chilled gust cut through her wet fur and caused her to start shivering in the cold. Without hesitation she pressed her side to his. ”Lets get inside.” She chattered her teeth softly as she clung to him for warmth.

As tempted as he was to continue the kiss into something more, out in the open on the beach, her words reminded him that although they could create their own warmth out here, it would be much warmer to start inside. Reluctantly, Magnus nodded with a smile and led her inside and through the halls to the room he had cleaned out for them. It was still messy in ways wolves couldn't handle, but it was by far cleaner than the other rooms. He hadn't spent much time exploring every room in the structure, but he'd spent enough time collecting blankets and other warm, soft things to fill theirs with for comfort.

Arriving at the room, Magnus paused outside the doorway and smiled as he motioned towards the open door. "Here we are." He spoke, allowing her to enter first. It wasn't the most romantic, though he had collected what pretty things he could find and scattered them around the room. Flowers were unfortunately much out of season in this area, but he'd managed to collect other plants to bring life to the room otherwise. Complete with other trinkets from around the resort he thought she'd like, Magnus had certainly tried his best with what he had found to make it comfortable for them both.

She could tell that he hesitated out there on the sand, but retreating was the right decision. Sand had a bad habit of winding up in particularly unsavory places. The thought was sweet and romantic, but it was cold and not as enjoyable as it sounded. Thankfully he led the way with relative ease and she was nearly rid of any residual particles by the time the pair of them reached the cozy little room. Deathbelle took a quick glimpse but gave him a sultry kiss to the cheek before stepping inside.

Blankets, rugs, all manner of soft things and pillows fill the room. Against the glass picked, dried, and some fresh foliage decorated the sill of the clear window. Sparkling and shining items caught her eye, stones, pottery, bits and bobbles she had no names for. The joy and wonderment she felt at al he did for her culminated in her expression and after the first sweet of the room Deathbelle returned all of her attention to Magnus. He made her smile, he carried her worries away, he made her feel like she had worth after a life of failure.

She touched her nose to his, unable to take her eyes off of his. She smiled softly, blown away by the gesture he gave her. ”This is perfect, Magnus.” Her lips parted briefly to speak but she used them to take another kiss from her love. Passionate and intense as all the waiting of the trip built up into that intimate gesture. ”I love you.” Belle barely pulled away as she delved into her desires.

He watched as she looked around the room and took it all in. He really did try hard for her, but it was more than worth it. It hardly felt like work doing all of this, even though it had taken him quite a while to get it all together. It made him happy seeing how happy Belle looked. He pressed back into her when her nose pressed into his, her words making his heart skip a beat as it always did when she spoke. It didn't matter what she said, her voice did things to him. Though those specific words did have an odd effect on him.

"Not as perfect as you." He muttered, pressing his lips into hers in return, only parting to finish his thought. "I love you more." He mumbled against her lips, pressing into her again to continue the kiss. The fluttery feeling he'd been feeling all day was beginning to make it's way south and his good behavior would soon end. He broke from the kiss a final time, only to usher her to the collection of pillows and blankets he'd made for them.

She wasn’t sure if he really meant what he said when he called her perfect. As far as flaws went her list could go on and on. Still, she held onto his words like he held onto her heart. Softly, gently, and with all the care one could muster. Magnus was everything she had. Though she could assume Sirius would protect her should the need arise this man was the one who appreciated her most. The one she woke up in the morning for, even if they couldn’t see each other every day. This was the time for those moment. Just the two of them here on this island, all the privacy in the world would be theirs to remind each other how they felt.

Magnus muttered back similar echoing words as their kiss persisted, and would be the last tht was broken. With subtle guidance Deathbelle gingerly folded her limbs and settled on the plush, not furs that lined the floor. She reclined onto the pillows and with a beckoning grin invited him closer. ”You promised to warm me up?” She asked in mock innocence, eager to wrap her arms around his neck and not let go. This time was theirs, to reaffirm their love, renew their relationship, to learn each other better. Magnus had his sight returned and she would do her best to make him appreciate the fact.

-fade?-

He worked so hard to impress her, to gain her favor and her hand. He had to lose some parts of him along the way, gain some deep scarring both physically and emotionally, but in the end he was rewarded with so much more than what he'd lost. He gained en empress for a love, for starters. Even if she didn't carry the title now, she would forever be his empress. He would treat her like a Queen until he was no more, as that is what she deserved and nothing less. Whether or not she felt like one before, there was no doubt Magnus would be spending the rest of his life to make sure she felt it now. He would spend this entire vacation proving how much she meant to him and how much he loved her. There wouldn't be any room for questioning after.

As they settled into the soft blankets and pillows, Magnus was quick to head her words. "Of course, my love. I never break my promises to you." He purred, pushing himself closer to her until they were entwined, pressed against each other and lost in the moment. He couldn't help but litter her face and neck with soft kisses before moving on to the rest of her.

fade

Magnus quickly won her heart, her paw, all of her and she was so happy to give herself to him. Their love was easy and relaxing, a blissful experience that could blot out the dark splotches of her history. Deathbelle felt complete, like she’d found a missing part of herself in Magnus. He held her tightly, warded her heart, and made her feel like the Empress she once was. Deathbelle submitted to his touch, to his embrace and his kisses and gave herself completely to her love. Magnus completed her, made her want to improve and show how much life she still had left to live.

Deathbelle let him love her all night, and she returned all of his efforts with equal passion. She didn’t hold anything back and that night Magnus was made privy to all of the fun tricks that she had learned from various lovers throughout her life. When the night seemed to finally beginning to wind down, made obvious in the exhausted way Belle began to move, the one Empress laid back onto the pillows once again. Her breathing was labored, but she wouldn’t give it up for the world. Her deep purple gaze searched for her lover’s face as sleep began to creep in. ”Oh, Magnus.” She breathed his name as she relaxed and opened her arms for him to take his place in her embrace.