History Heartwarming / HopeForTheHeartless

-->'''The Horned King''': You have the strength to [[AllLovingHeroine show compassion and kindness to anyone you meet]]. Even...something like me. And child, that is...The greatest kind of strength. One I am sure many see as nothing more than a myth. I...believed it to be nothing but complete nonsense myself, all those pathetic stories of [[PurityPersonified young maidens so pure]] [[FriendToAllLivingThings even the most savage of beasts would eat from their hands like pets]] and I believed them so kind it was nearly sickening. I never even pondered the possibility of such a creature existing, so fanciful was the notion. But...here you are, right in front of me, something I believed to be nothing more than a foolish tale spun by feebleminded tramps. And...You are anything but weak. Or nauseating.

* Avalina [[PleaseSpareHimMyLiege begs]] the Horned King to spare Creeper even though the goblin [[KickTheDog hit her face]] during her time in the dungeon.

* The Horned King [[VillainousRescue saves Avalina]] from being killed by the [[AxCrazy Mad]] [[SavageWolves Pack]], even if [[PragmaticVillainy he does that only because she's his only chance to remain free]] of [[SoulJar the Black Cauldron]].

** Two weeks after the event, the Horned King has the Invisibles to provide a library for Avalina. She's so happy for the gift, and the Horned King says it to be for her saving his life. He all but forces the sentence out, but Avalina can tell it's sincere.

* The slow and subtle changes of the Horned King's [[LimaSyndrome treatment]] of Avalina.

* After the Horned King's argument with Avalina about her interfering in his revenge leaves her sad, Creeper tries to make her feel better.

* Avalina saves Creeper from the cracking surface of the frozen lake. She's then saved from drowning by the Horned King. After she uses [[EmpathicHealer the pain-transference prayer]] to relieve his pain and recovers from the ordeal, the lich apologizes for his lately treatment of her and tells that he values her life over Taran's death. She forgives him. As she contently falls asleep against his chest, [[DeclarationOfProtection he internally vows to protect her]], making his PapaWolf status towards her final.

* When Avalina breaks down due to her physical weakness after being allowed to leave her sickbed and calls herself weak, the Horned King comforts her with a YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech about her [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower unique kind of strength]].
--> "You have the strength to [[AllLovingHeroine show compassion and kindness to anyone you meet]]. Even...something like me. And child, that is...The greatest kind of strength. One I am sure many see as nothing more than a myth. I...believed it to be nothing but complete nonsense myself, all those pathetic stories of [[PurityPersonified young maidens so pure]] [[FriendToAllLivingThings even the most savage of beasts would eat from their hands like pets]] and I believed them so kind it was nearly sickening. I never even pondered the possibility of such a creature existing, so fanciful was the notion. But...here you are, right in front of me, something I believed to be nothing more than a foolish tale spun by feebleminded tramps. And...You are anything but weak. Or nauseating."
* The Horned King and Creeper remove the remainders of the former [[AnimateDead Cauldron]]-[[DemBones Born]] from the lich's lands to make Avalina feel safer there.

* The Horned King and Avalina's day out in [[spoiler:her garden]] after [[spoiler:his WalkingWasteland trait seems to have vanished]]. The day ends with them [[spoiler:having [[SleepCute fallen asleep against each other]]]].

* The Horned King [[VillainousRescue saves]] Avalina from being killed by the [[AxCrazy Mad]] [[SavageWolves Pack]], even if [[PragmaticVillainy he does that only because she's his only chance to remain free]] of [[ArtifactOfDoom the Black Cauldron]].

** Two weeks after the event, the Horned King has the Invisibles provide for Avalina a library. She's so happy for the gift, and the Horned King says that it's to show gratitude for her saving his life. He all but forces the sentence out, but Avalina can tell it's sincere.

* The slow and subtle changes of the Horned King's [[LimaSyndrome treatment]] towards Avalina.

* When Avalina and the Horned King ride to her secret place, Creeper decides to take his chance and leave his master's servitude. Addie is against it and he ends up striking her jaw. He doesn't know how to apologize and attempts to leave again. When he's at the drawbridge, he hears her sorrowful cry that reminds him of the one she made after realizing her mate was dead. He goes back and manages to apologize. [[EasilyForgiven She accepts it]].

* Avalina saves Creeper from the cracking surface of the frozen lake. Then she's saved from drowning by the Horned King. After she uses [[EmpathicHealer the pain-transference prayer]] to relieve his pain and recovers from the ordeal, the lich apologizes for his lately treatment of her and tells that he values her life over Taran's death. She forgives him. As she contently falls asleep against his chest, [[DeclarationOfProtection he internally vows to protect her]], making his PapaWolf status towards her final.

* The Horned King [[VillainousRescue saves]] Avalina from being killed by the [[AxCrazy Mad]] [[SavageWolves Pack]], even if [[PragmaticVillainy he does that only because she's his only chance to remain free]] from [[ArtifactOfDoom the Black Cauldron]].

** Two weeks after the event, the Horned King has the Invisibles to provide for Avalina a library. She's so happy for the gift, and the Horned King says that it's to show gratitude for her saving his life. He all but forces the sentence out, but Avalina can tell it's sincere.

** The gwythaint (Addie) and Mitternacht quickly become friends through their races.

** In similar way, after [[ManipulativeBastard Arawn's]] actions cause Avalina's [[HeroicBSOD spirit to go down]] again, she ends up in a snowball fight with Creeper and Mitternacht. They all enjoy it.

* When Avalina breaks down due to her physical weakness after being allowed to leave her sickbed and calls herself weak, the Horned King comforts her with a YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre speech about her unique kind of strength.
--> "You have the strength to show compassion and kindness to anyone you meet. Even...something like me. And child, that is...The greatest kind of strength. One I am sure many see as nothing more than a myth. I...believed it to be nothing but complete nonsense myself, all those pathetic stories of young maidens so pure even the most savage of beasts would eat from their hands like pets and I believed them so kind it was nearly sickening. I never even pondered the possibility of such a creature existing, so fanciful was the notion. But...here you are, right in front of me, something I believed to be nothing more than a foolish tale spun by feebleminded tramps. And...You are anything but weak. Or nauseating."

* The Horned King and Avalina's day out in [[spoiler:her garden]] after [[spoiler:his WalkingWasteland trait seems to have vanished]]. The days ends with them [[spoiler:having [[SleepCute fallen asleep against each other]]]].

* The Horned King and Avalina's day out in [[spoiler:her garden]] after [[spoiler:his WalkingWasteland trait seems to have vanished]].

* Avalina's happiness for [[spoiler:the forest that has grown in the Horned King's [[{{Mordor}} lands]]]].

** Weeks after the event, the Horned King has the Invisibles to provide for Avalina a library. She's so happy for the gift, and the Horned King says that it's to show gratitude for her saving his life. He all but forces the sentence out, but Avalina can tell it's sincere.

** Avalina decides to take the injured and unconscious Horned King back to the castle even though she wants to return home.

* After the Horned King explains Avalina how [[EvilMakesYouMonstrous his evil deeds started reflecting his appearance]] and that [[IAmAMonster he can never regain his lost heart]], Avalina watches him and senses his loneliness, desperation, weariness and the beginnings of remorse. For the first time she comes next to him willingly and [[HoldingHands takes his hand]], saying that she sees hope in him. After the initial shock, he responds to the gesture and they watch out of the window together.
* When Avalina and the Horned King ride on Mitternacht to her secret place, Creeper decides to take his chance and leave his master's servitude. But Addie is against it and he ends up striking her jaw. He doesn't know how to apologize and attempts to leave again. When he's at the drawbridge, he hears her sorrowful cry that reminds him of the one she made after realizing her mate was dead. He goes back and manages to apologize. [[EasilyForgiven She accepts it]].

* When Avalina is about to fall into a chasm created by a sudden earthquake, Taran pulls her up despite getting seriously injured by the Horned King's NoHoldsBarredBeatdown.

* The Horned King and Creeper remove the remainders of the former [[AnimateDead Cauldron]]-[[DemBones Born]] from his lands to make Avalina feel more comfortable there.

* The Horned King [[VillainousRescue saving]] Avalina from being killed by the [[AxCrazy Mad]] [[SavageWolves Pack]], even if [[PragmaticVillainy he does that only because she's his only chance to remain free]] from [[ArtifactOfDoom the Black Cauldron]].
** Avalina deciding to take the injured and unconscious Horned King back to the castle even though she wants to return home.

* After the Horned King's argument with Avalina leaves her sad, Creeper tries to make her feel better.
** In similar way, after [[ManipulativeBastard Arawn's]] actions causes Avalina's [[HeroicBSOD spirit to go down]] again, she ends up in a snowball fight with Creeper and Mitternacht. They all enjoy it.
* Avalina saves Creeper from the cracking surface of the frozen lake. Then she's saved from drowning by the Horned King. After she uses [[EmpathicHealer the pain-transference prayer]] to relieve his pain and recovers from the ordeal, the lich apologizes for his lately treatment of her and tells that he values her life over Taran's death, she forgives him. As she contently falls asleep against his chest, [[DeclarationOfProtection he internally vows to protect her]], making his PapaWolf status towards her final.

* Avalina's happiness for [[spoiler:the forest that has grown in the Horned King's [[{{Mordor}} lands]].

** Avalina saves Creeper from the cracking surface of the frozen lake.

* After the Horned King tells Avalina that [[spoiler:his heart has come back to life]], she's overjoyed for him. His [[spoiler:heartbeat]] becomes one of her favorite sounds in the world.