Ashtoria peered from the shadow of a building, her eyes following Riven and Melly as their figures grew smaller in the bustle of the city. A faint relief spread through her chest when she saw the man conscious again and seemingly all right.
The truth was, the reason she had left Riven was not because their ties were over. She had matters of her own to resolve. After making sure the siblings were under the healer's care, Ashtoria had pulled on a long cloak, hiding her blood-red hair, and slipped away quietly toward the city hall.
Inside, she spoke with the city's leader, addressing matters that could not be delayed. When she finally stepped out nearly two hours later, someone was already waiting.
A tall man in his forties stood at the doorway. He wore the formal robes of the royal guard, a crimson sash across his waist, the crest of Iskandrite gleaming on his chest. His body was broad and disciplined, his face stern, and his eyes sharp, though they carried a clear glint of respect.
"Your Highness," he said with a bow. His voice was low, but beneath it lingered a tremor of surprise. "At last I have found you."
Ashtoria paused, meeting his gaze in silence before exhaling softly.
"Commander Valobys," she replied curtly. "You do have a habit of appearing at the most inconvenient times."
The man did not react to her jab. He stood firm, waiting. With a faint sigh, Ashtoria turned back into the building, and Valobys followed without question.
They entered a private chamber within the city hall. The door closed firmly behind them, leaving a long conversation that only the two of them would ever know.
The matters were weighty. The sudden assaults from the Mordune kingdom pressing into the borderlands. Disturbing reports from the eastern reaches. Thousands of beast corpses found rotting in the western forests, and the devastation left behind by something far greater than wild packs. They spoke of Iskandrite's troop movements, the nobles who still held their loyalty, and the endless letters, orders, and decrees that required her confirmation.
Time slipped by, consumed by responsibilities neither of them could avoid. When everything was finally settled and Valobys prepared to return to the capital, Ashtoria stood, lifted the hood that had hidden her face, and stepped out into the evening air.
The shadows of the buildings stretched long across the streets. She tilted her head slightly, letting the last light of the sun fall on her face, and only then realized how much of the day had already been lost.
And in the distance, as if fate itself delighted in strange coincidences, she caught sight of two familiar figures. Riven and Melly had just emerged from the healer's house.
Ashtoria froze for a moment, then began to follow them slowly from afar.
.
.
.
Inside a modest but bustling tavern, the air was thick with the aroma of grilled meat, mingled with laughter and the clatter of wooden bowls and spoons. Riven and Melly sat in a corner near an open window facing the street. Before them were two heaping plates of steaming rice and slices of beef charred at the edges, rich with salty-sweet seasoning and glistening fat.
Melly ate with unrestrained joy, her cheeks puffed like a squirrel, her hands darting from plate to mouth with frantic speed.
Riven ate no less eagerly, sighing in relief between mouthfuls. Each bite felt like a small victory after all they had endured. "This is… incredible," he murmured, scooping up more rice. "I could almost cry."
Melly nodded fervently, too busy chewing to form a reply.
Then the sound of a chair scraping gently across the floor reached them. Both siblings froze. Before they could turn to see who it was, a flat yet familiar voice spoke right beside them.
"You two are eating without me?"
Riven stiffened. His spoon froze halfway. Melly's chewing slowed as she turned toward the voice, her wide eyes betraying shock.
And there she was. The figure who had vanished from their lives only to appear again at their table.
Riven nearly choked, grabbing for his cup and gulping down water in a rush before croaking out, voice raw and uneven, "Aria? You…? Why?"
The words tumbled out clumsily, as though his mind had not yet caught up with the sight before him. Ashtoria looked back with calm detachment, faintly puzzled by his reaction, but said nothing.
Riven inhaled deeply, steadying his racing heartbeat. After a long moment, he managed to speak more clearly.
"Didn't… we already part ways?"
The question lingered between them. Around them the tavern buzzed with noise, but in their corner the air felt strangely still, heavy with unspoken meaning.
Ashtoria's eyes stayed on him, unblinking. Her face remained cold, yet something fleeting stirred behind her gaze. At last, she answered.
"Yes. We are parting ways," she said softly. "That is why… I came to see you one last time."
For reasons he could not name, Riven's chest tightened at her words. He lowered his head briefly, then lifted it again with a faint, strained smile. But before he could speak—
"Waiter!" Melly's voice cut brightly through the tension as she waved to a passing server. "One more plate of rice and meat, please! With lots of seasoning!"
Both Riven and Ashtoria turned toward her.
Melly grinned innocently, her eyes sparkling as if none of the heaviness around them had ever existed. She patted the empty chair beside her.
"Come sit, Sister Aria. Eat with us! You must be hungry, right?"
Riven fell silent, but a reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
Ashtoria blinked at Melly, momentarily at a loss, but then quietly drew out the chair and sat down, surrendering to the warmth of the small moment in the midst of the chaos that awaited outside.
The table grew quiet despite the tavern's noise. None of them spoke after Ashtoria sat.
There were countless things Riven wanted to ask—who she really was, what she had done while he lay unconscious, why she had returned when they had agreed to part ways.
But he held back.
He knew the deeper he became entangled, the harder it would be to walk away. After today, they would return to being strangers with lives of their own. He had no need to know what was better left unknown. So he ate in silence, forcing himself to savor each bite of rice and beef though the taste on his tongue had dulled.
Across from him, Ashtoria ate little of the food Melly had ordered. Her expression remained unreadable, her gaze fixed on her plate as though seeing something invisible to all others.
As Riven had said before… they were meant to part here, in this city.
Yet something lingered unfinished. She wanted to be certain of something about herself, and about this man.
Feelings she did not understand. Feelings she had never cared about. But when she was near him, something unsettled her calm. And for the first time, she did not feel it was a bad thing.
Was it because he did not know who she truly was? What if he did? Would his demeanor change? Would he look at her with the same fear as the others? Why did she feel she did not want that to happen? Was it because he was the first to treat her with kindness?
The questions circled endlessly in her mind.
Then… the chatter from a nearby table drifted into her ears.
"Have you heard about the old fortress to the west, near the Vilewood forest?"
"What? Wasn't that just attacked by Mordune's forces? What happened there?"
"What I don't get… how did Mordune send so many troops? The only way in is through cliffs and rocks…"
Their voices overlapped, sometimes clear, sometimes muffled by laughter and clinking bowls.
"I heard the Queen disappeared after the Mordune assault. And they say there's a reward for anyone who can find her. Even if you only report a woman with red hair and red eyes, you can get a thousand gold coins."
"... "