Slowly they come to him, trailing in with a variety of expressions upon their faces. They have suffered, and the darkness lingers in the eyes of some, but the joy of freedom is present in the faces of nearly all his kin as they stand before him. There is an explosion of movement among the trees, a flash of grullo hide that disappears in a flash, and Kaj's stomach lurches high into his throat. Lace. But as he takes a step forward, prepared to pursue, others push forward to bow to him. It feels wrong, but he recalls the words the Night Queen spoke. He cannot rule in Mirage's shadow. Bright blues turn to find Kahlua, a slow smile melting on his face, and he knows that for now he must lead. She looks stunning beside him, perhaps a little tentative, but glowing with all the light her name possesses. He cannot leave her to the altar alone, not when he knows she is still trying to find the niche she will come to occupy in time. But at the soonest moment he shall find his sickened brother, will cure him. A King he may be, but even he had been a peasant once, and Lace would not be forgotten in favor of duties. It is tucked away, passionate and distracting, for a later moment. For now, he cannot run from his brethren, no matter how hard it tears at him to know he is abandoning his brother in doing so.

It is Quilyan who approaches first, with ease, and Kaj's smile comes simple and contentedly. Quilyan and he are bound in far more than a similar love for one mare- the painted prince had been there to console him when he had been driven to reckless anger over the racism that had unfairly permeated the Edge. "Welcome home, brother," he greeted softly, head tipping respectfully to his friend. As Quilyan reaches forward Kaj reciprocates, breathing in the familiar scent of his brother-in-arms as their muzzles touch. Parting, he reaches forward in hopes of teasingly giving a nudge of Quilyan's cheek, wanting a moment of hidden lightheartedness before the others arrive. It is then that the prince turns to Kahlua, and Kaj smiles upon the two of them before becoming aware of the new travelers coming closer. The mare is Cheveyo, he recalls, and he nods his head regally to her to show that she has not been forgotten. Quilyan steps back and Kaj reigns his wings back to his sides, shifting his shoulders tall and proud, gazing down at those who pay their respects with a kindly smile.

There is so much to listen to, and even more to say, but the Stormbringer is a patient creature and lets it wash over him like the waves beating the ivory cliffs of their home. It still tastes sweet, saying it. Home. First he turns to Cheveyo, who had spoken first, and dips his head as she offers herself to the Edge. "You will be welcomed here, Cheveyo." A twinkle of amusement enters his eyes as a gold-inlayed youth speaks up, clearly in awe over the Edge, gushing over her love of it. "Yes, the woods of the Edge are quite stunning, thank you for your compliment. For you, and all those unknowing," he directs this to those whose faces he cannot recall, eyes sweeping across the crowd, "I am Kaj. This is Kahlua. We are King and Queen of the World's Edge. For those who have returned, we welcome you home." It is said warmly towards the fall of his lyrics, a clear sign of gratitude towards those who have followed the mists back home even after the darkness stripped all alliance from their coats.

"You, too, are welcome to stay within our borders. On conditions that will soon be laid clear, youngling," he warned softly, a message to all who hear his deep vocals. She is nameless, has not offered forth anything for him to call her by, and so she is youngling to him. He means no offense by it, and regards her with clear azures that transfer such a message. And speaking of Alysanne...a smile is offered to her as his gaze moves across her, happy to see her back home. He does not know her on a personal level, but she is of kind heart, and he knows Resplendence will be glad to have her back in the ranks. More come in silence, until Nato ventures to say their names, bringing Kaj's eyes to the unicorn. Kaj levels his head respectfully towards the old warrior, rising after an appropriate amount of time. "It is a joy to have you back, Nato," he commented simply. Nato would understand. Kaj had never been one for lengthy speeches in the norm, though he had certainly gone on tangents befitting a loose-tongued foal. Had they all not done so?

All is disrupted by the joyful squealing of a youth, though she looks old enough to Kaj to be on her own, huddling close to Quilyan as if Kaj is sizing her up for a meal. Amusing, but exasperating. "It is unnecessary to call me such a title, miss Nasreen. I am Kaj the Storm Bringer, King of the Edge. Not your honor." Smile lifts his lips into a half-smirk, amused by her actions, and idly reaches a feather to caress Kahlua's flank should she allow him such a touch. It's almost thoughtless, to reach for her, to know she is safe beside him, healed and happy where he can protect her. Attention is grabbed by Aaron, not feeling obligated to answer them all, for he feels uncomfortable speaking so boldly, and these are Kahlua's followers as well. Kaj knows how much she will enjoy speaking with them, so he leaves Note's request to her and tries to catch Aaron's eyes.

There is hope, in him, to mend what he has broken with the painted son. Kaj knows better than any the loss of a sister too young to be taken, and hopes he can prove to be a better man than he has proven to the fire wielding stag. Resplendence comes next, approaching them in the quiet manner she holds, and Kaj slowly takes his eyes from Aaron to keep her in his vision. However her greeting is cut short by the hatching of her draconic companion, which Kaj raises a brow at, shocked that it chose such a public place to hatch. It was a mild disturbance at best, but the reptile seems content, and as long as Resplendence is happy then Kaj does not mind the interruption. In fact, another dragon is at play with his locks, bringing forth a chuckle deep as thunder and a smile towards both Evangeline and Tallis both. With all of them gathered, and no others forthcoming, he clears his throat and nudges Kahlua gently, signalling that he is ready to begin.

"Children of the Edge, bearers of the Night Queen's blessing. We have returned home." Lyrics ring across the opening, silencing chatter as it echoes softly through the trees, drawing them in to him. It is time to become a family once more. It is time to weave the bonds of decisive measures that will protect them in the coming seasons. "Those who have bore this mark before, you may notice the mantle has changed. We cannot live in the DragonHeart's shadow, the Queen herself has forbade it. It is a new dawn for us all. We are free from the confines we have suffered in for so long, and now, we must come together and share our strength to heal once more." Words come to him without real thought, weaving through them like wind currents, whispering into ears and begging attention to be brought to him.

"We are the remains of the Qian. We have policies that will not be broken. Should you have qualms with these laws, you are welcome to depart. This is a land of equality. Racism is a severe crime, with varying punishments, the most common perhaps being banishment from these lands." A foreleg strikes hard against the earth, eyes hard with seriousness to emphasize this statement. Gaze sweeps slowly across all those gathered, daring an objection. "You are not required to pay patronage to our Goddess, but respect the fact that she has given us this home. Respect your brethren, and those they worship."

Speaking of. That reminded him of something. "As such we are family. No matter what disputes you may have, when the time calls for battle and sacrifice, you fight for your family. Loyalty is held in high regard in these lands. As of now, there are no alliances held, negative nor positive. But love is not able to be confined. If you wish to have foals, we encourage this, for new life is always held as a celebration." A smile pulled at his lips. Foals were a weakness for the Stormbringer, he could not help the happiness that warmed him to imagine them running about in spring and summer. It would truly feel like home, then.

"Your Queen and I have discussed how we will establish ranks. The Edge is no foreigner to invasion. We will be placing all those vying for Captain in one arena to battle in the fashion that an invasion would conjure. The two who remain will be crowned your Captains. If you would like to participate in this tournament, I urge you to speak now." Silence fell for a few long moments, awaiting any voices that called forth eagerly or hesitantly in any degree, hoping there would be any at all. They were few in number now, but many were still lost in the lands of Helovia, and their homecomings would be welcomed. Then his eyes fell to Quilyan and he smiled, stepping forward.

"Quilyan, advance." The Stormbringer awaited for his command to be obeyed, smiling and lifting his wings, the flight feathers of his left wing extending to behold the painted stud as if on display. "You have served the Edge loyally, faithfully, for many seasons. Your efforts have not been overlooked, brother. We ask you know, as your King and Queen, will you rule as our Specter? Will you defend our families from those hoping to steal them in the thick of night, and exact revenge on those who succeed? The position is yours to take, brother."

The very first promotion. Kaj smiled at the lad before him. They were finally moving forward.