Raya stared down at the map of Fang spread out on the table, squinting as she tried to focus on it. Light from the dawn was coming in through the open window across from her, slowly illuminating the map as the sun rose. Virana and Atitāya were standing on opposite sides of the table having a conversation that Raya was pretending to follow. She tried to make a face that looked like she was concentrating, hoping the other two wouldn't ask her any questions until she was fully awake. Then Atitāya pointed to a spot on the map and Raya forced herself to tune back into what they were saying.

"We should send soldiers to the villages here and here," Atitāya said, tracing one of the valleys with her finger. "They're currently unprotected and have nearby resources we need for our rebuilding projects."

Raya stared at the map for a moment, then looked up at Atitāya, her brow furrowing. "Those villages are right on the border with Heart, and they don't really belong to Fang anymore. Heart citizens moved there after the Dragon Gem broke and Fang abandoned them."

"That valley was a part of Fang's territory long before the Druun returned," Atitāya said, straightening up and crossing her arms. "There are two villages with dozens of buildings, six rice fields, and a quarry in that area. Fang originally built all of them, and Fang should continue to benefit from them."

Neither of them paid any attention to Virana, who was watching them both closely, her eyes flicking between them as they spoke.

Raya sighed, leaning forward with her hands on the table. "But the people living there aren't citizens of Fang. They've lived there for eight years now. Those are their homes. You can't just send soldiers to occupy them because you want what's nearby."

Atitāya narrowed her eyes. "You'd rather those resources go to Heart?"

Ray shook her head. "That's not what I said. Those people don't want soldiers there. Heart has never had a standing army and they've been just fine for this long."

"So, we should wait for them to be attacked and raided by bandits first?" Atitāya scoffed and shifted to mirror Raya's position, leaning over the table so their eyes were level. "They're lucky they've gotten this far without being attacked and the longer we wait to take back the territory, the more complicated this issue becomes."

"Then negotiate with them for access to their resources instead of sending in soldiers. They might not want to be a part of Fang or Heart anymore."

"That's not their choice. It was and always will be Fang's territory. They agreed to become a part of Fang when they decided to live there."

"They didn't 'decide' to live there, they were fleeing from the Druun."

"They were fleeing the destruction of the Dragon Gem, which was your—"

Atitāya snapped her mouth shut as Raya's eyes went wide. They stared at each other for a long, silent moment before Atitāya walked stiffly toward the door. Raya reached out to grab her arm, but Atitāya threw off her grip and stormed out of the room without another word.

Raya stood with her hand still extended, gaping at the door as it slammed closed. "I thought she and I were—" she cut herself off and swallowed thickly. "But she blames me for what happened with the Druun." Raya turned back to find Virana standing behind her and quickly looked down at the floor, hoping to hide the tears building in her eyes.

"Raya," Virana said, the softness in her voice making Raya raise her eyes again. "I don't think Atitāya really believes the Druun returning was your fault. Those villages and their resources have been a tense topic for years, and Atitāya and I have always disagreed on how to handle the situation." She put a hand on Raya's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "I do think you were right. Sending soldiers would make everything much worse. We've tried hard over the last two years to build a relationship with Heart and the other nations. That isn't worth jeopardizing for a few resources that we don't sorely need. I will talk to Atitāya and get this straightened out."

Raya nodded, sniffling as she tried to hold back her tears.

Virana tilted her head to the side, her eyes still on Raya's face. "You blame yourself for breaking the Dragon Gem, don't you?"

Raya looked back at the floor, biting her lower lip as tears started to run down her face.

Virana sighed and squeezed Raya's shoulder again. "I was wondering when this would come up. I've had this conversation with Namaari many, many times." She moved her hand to Raya's chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. "What neither of you seem to understand is that what happened was inevitable. Every nation came to that meeting with the exact same intentions as Fang. Someone would have either stolen or broken the Gem eventually. You and Namaari just made it happen a little faster.

"And besides, you were children," Virana continued, waving her free hand dismissively. "You can't be held responsible for the decisions of the adults around you." She paused and lowered her hand from Raya's face, her expression softening. "I am the one who came up with the plan for Namaari to trick you. I thought I was doing what was best for Fang. But I am sorry for the pain that my decision has caused you and Namaari."

Raya wiped her nose on the back of her hand and cleared her throat, waiting to speak until she knew her voice wouldn't shake. "Thank you. I appreciate you saying that." She opened her mouth to say more, but hesitated, her brow creasing slightly. "Have you told Namaari that? That you're sorry, I mean."

Virana thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, I suppose I haven't. Not directly. But I thought she understood that."

"I think you should tell her. I know it would mean a lot to her to hear that from you."

Virana studied Raya's face for a few seconds, then nodded. "You're right again. Thank you for the suggestion, Raya. I'm glad to see you're becoming the leader I knew you could be." She smiled, then gestured toward the door. "Now, I believe we both have a lot to do today, so you'll have to excuse me."

Raya returned her smile, pulling her sleeve over her hand to wipe the tears from her face. She watched the door close, her hand moving to the spot where Virana had touched her shoulder. After a few seconds, she smiled, then headed for the door as well, feeling lighter than she had in a very long time.