Her head wracked with headaches from the night before, Amara once again made her way down the hallway of the military headquarters, this time without her usual white frock. While subordinates greeted her with her formal title, once they were out of sight they'd snicker to themselves because of the pitch black sunglasses that were adorned on her face.

"Can't handle your liquor, junior?"

Amara turned to see Loqi, flashing a grin worthy of a Cheshire. "I can, I just had too much. Aren't you on vacation..? Why are you here?"

"Vacations don't matter to HRC," Loqi grumbled. "It's work, work, work. I had the room set up and everything. The beach is really nice this time of year, an—"

"Yeah, I got it." Amara cut across. "So tell me where you're headed."

"Junior's worried about me? How sweet," Loqi chuckled. "But I'll be in Leide, to quiet a disturbance there... and it just so happens the Prince of Lucis is in the area."

Amara tilted her head, "King. His father died."

"Right," Loqi grunted. "Glauca would've done well to kill the prince too, but… that's not how it turned out."

"You think he'd have done that if he was ordered?" Amara wondered.

Loqi nodded, "Of course."

"But double agents can't be trusted; that's a self-serving position."

"How so?"

Amara narrowed her eyes, "Playing both sides at the benefit of your own… how isn't it?"

"Oh," Loqi laughed, "you're finally starting to sound like you know what you're talking about, junior."

"Have fun on your vacation in Leide," Amara chimed, turning on her heel.

Loqi rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah."

'At least he got the chance to have a vacation… I haven't had one at all,' Amara thought.

Amara was headed to Ravus' office to find out more about what the Empire planned to do with the Astrals. She didn't understand what a military superpower would want with gods. When she arrived at his office, she found a man seemingly waiting for her.

He was dressed in dark clothing, his head adorned with a hat, rudely Amara thought as hats weren't to be worn indoors.

"Hello, Vice Commander," his gravelly voice rolling over the syllables smoothly. "Work treating you well?"

Internally, Amara stiffened but on the outside, she cracked a smile, "Chancellor. It does get better than this, I'm afraid."

"A privilege to even have a taste though, wouldn't you agree?"

'Why doesn't he just say what he needs to?,' Amara thought.

"I would, if I wasn't already spoiled," she replied. "How are you finding your stay in Gralea?"

Ardyn shrugged, "Weather's a bit wonky for my taste, but luckily you won't have to endure it for too long."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, the High Commander and his subordinate," Amara's pleasant facade almost crumbled at the word, "don't speak? I was sure he'd told you. Lord Ravus is leaving for Lucis soon."

Amara shrugged, "It's clear he forgot."

"Someone of his stature doesn't forget things on accident," Ardyn mused, coming off of the wall. He walked down the hall, taking his exit, "Remember that. Have fun in Lucis."

'Rav never tells me anything personal anymore,' she thought, 'so why am I surprised?'

Amara shook off the irritating encounter but couldn't shake the feeling of doubt that washed over her; if Ravus' plan was to purposely leave her in the dark, then he'd have no reason to have her as his second-in-charge. Unless he wanted to keep her close so he could keep track of what she knew, but even then the reasoning for that didn't make much sense to her.

'If he was leaving… he obviously didn't want me to find out. There's better ways to go about it, what's up with that?', she wondered, over-thinking and throwing around all possibilities.

When she knocked on his door, she didn't hear a response so she figured he wasn't inside. Deciding to question him about Ardyn's revelation, she opened the door only to find a sleeping Ravus; his body leaning in his chair, his head titled back with his shut eyes towards the ceiling. His mouth was slightly open and she could hear his faint snoring. Amara couldn't help but observe the sight as the only time she saw him was awake.

'I didn't even know he could sleep,' she thought. 'On second thought... maybe I shouldn't bring it up.'

Suddenly, his light snoring stopped and Amara froze. Eyelids rising, his gaze swiveled over to her, wondering who was in his doorway as his eyes adjusted.

"Hani..?" He mumbled. Before she could respond he let out a loud yawn, "Whoops… didn't mean to do that."

Amara leaned up against the doorway, "Do what?"

"Fall asleep… there's so much to do."

'Like hide stuff from me?', she thought. 'Get over it… maybe he really did forget.'

"Right."

Ravus sat up and leaned his head on his hand, "What is it?"

"It's no—"

"Then let it go."

Amara rolled her eyes, "It's always your way or no way."

"Seems to be," he yawned again, "...working so far. So are you gonna tell me..?"

Amara laughed as he tried to stifle a yawn that only got stronger. "Maybe you should take the day off."

"Are you going to take over for me?"

She looked around, "That's what I'm supposed to do."

He laughed slightly, "You're not even dressed the part." A glint of kindness lied in his eyes, "Do I have to beg for you to tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"Amara." His voice was stern and was laced with impatience.

Amara took a breath, "Why didn't you say you were leaving?"

Ravus narrowed his eyes, "Because I'm not. Who told you this?"

"The Chancellor," Amara wanted to take back her words as soon as she said them. She could tell nothing good would result from their conversation.

"And you believed him?"

Amara bit the inside of her cheek, "Well… I'm not sure how to feel. It made sense."

"That's just as bad." The glint of kindness in his eyes, was no more; his gaze was murky and troubled. A look Amara mistook for anger.

"It's nothing for you to get angry over," she snapped.

Ravus' lips pursed, "I'm not angry."

"Happy isn't the word I'd use to describe you right now."

"Secretive would be though, right?" Ravus shot back, "Because you think I'd hide something so stupid from you."

Amara's eyes were reduced to slits, "Like you haven't hidden things before? Like how I had to find out you were missing an arm from someone else?" Ravus stiffened at the phrase and memory.

"Acting as if you weren't there when it happened," he hissed.

"I was, but how was I to know it was burned that badly?" Amara asked. "That it had to be amputated?"

"Maybe I thought you didn't deserve to know." His voice was still and his eyes hadn't left her own once.

Amara didn't shy from his fiery glare though, she kept it up with a venomous look of her own.

"Yeah, maybe."

Ravus arched an eyebrow, "Interesting, that you're still mad about that… foolish of me to think you'd gotten over it."

"You're an idiot." Amara said softly but the impact was harsh all the same.

Ravus smirked, "Says the one who listened to someone else on matters that regarded me."

"Shut up." Her voice was flat and toneless.

Leaving the room, she walked briskly down the hall, headed for her own office. She looked over her shoulder, sure she'd heard a sound, but didn't find the owner of it. Before she reached the elevator, she had time to beat herself up in her head.

'Why did I say anything? I should've just… lied, there was no need for any of that,' she thought. 'And now he knows for sure… that I'm still upset. It's a dumb thing to be upset about, I should've just let it go.'

"What happened now?"

Amara turned to see the dragoon, "Nothing."

"It's always the same with you," Aranea sighed.

The commander rolled her eyes, "For better or for worse?"

"Neither." The dragoon said solemnly.

x

"Ugh…" Amara flicked through another stack of paperwork. "This is so boring."

Knock knock.

"Come in!" Amara said, tossing the papers on her desk.

A soldier walked in with two more stacks of paperwork in his arms, "More from Lord Ravus."

"I know." Amara grumbled, trying to find room on her desk for more. "Did he say why he was doing this?"

"Something about taking a day off, ma'am." The soldier responded.

Amara sighed, "He's such a smartass… thanks."

"Of course, Vice Commander."

After the soldier left, Amara dropped her face on the stacks, surprised that Ravus decided to take their small spat this far. She sat up in her chair and decided she might as well do some paperwork and find somebody else to do the rest.

'To make it authentic,' Amara thought.

As she began to read another paper, her phone rang and the ID told her it was Com. Command, the communications department.

"Hello?"

A man answered, "Afternoon, Vice Commander. You're needed down at the hangar."

"For?"

"The Chancellor requested your assistance in a matter."

'Why does he keep bothering me?' Amara rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw.

Amara's eyes bore into the wall in front of her, "Why can't the High Commander deal with that?"

"Because he's on break, sir."

"Right… thanks."

"Your welcome, sir."