Raya laughed as she splashed through another puddle, stamping in it several times before she took off running again, still pulling Namaari along behind her. She slowed as they approached the bridge into the city, coming to a stop and tugging on Namaari's hand until they were standing side by side. Panting for breath, she blew the hair out of her face, grinning at Namaari before releasing her hand and bolting across the bridge.

"Race you to the palace!" Raya called over her shoulder.

Namaari huffed and sprinted after her. "You can't say it's a race after you're already running!"

Raya was moving as fast as she could, but Namaari managed to catch up to her just past the main gate, staying even with her as they tore through the courtyard. They burst through the doors into the palace and skidded across the floor, barely keeping their footing as the water dripping off them pooled on the smooth stone. Raya came to an unsteady stop, jerking her body back and forth and flailing her arms as she struggled to stay upright. She regained her footing just in time to lose it again as Namaari grabbed her arm, fighting to keep her own balance.

"You're such a cheater," Namaari said, yanking on Raya's arm. "You can't tell me it's a race after you start."

Raya wrenched herself out of Namaari's grip, but the motion made Namaari's feet slip out from under her. Namaari fell forward with most of her weight on Raya, threatening to topple both of them.

"I have to keep you on your toes somehow, dep la," Raya said, grunting as she swatted at Namaari's hands. She tried to shove Namaari away from her but they both lost their footing, ending up in a heap on the ground. They attempted to stand up while pushing the other down, laughing as they collapsed on the floor again.

A soft laugh echoed down the hall and they both looked up to see Virana standing in a nearby doorway. They scrambled to their feet, still slipping on the wet floor but managing to steady each other enough to stand.

"Good afternoon, mother," Namaari said, her face turning red as she stood up as straight as possible.

Virana walked to stand in front of Namaari, tilting her head as she looked between her and Raya. Then she smiled, reaching out to brush the hair from Namaari's face. "I take it you enjoyed your walk?"

Namaari nodded, unable to stop a grin from breaking across her features. She bit down on her lower lip as Raya elbowed her side, trying her hardest not to start laughing again.

Virana chuckled, shaking her head slightly. "You weren't gone for very long. I'm impressed you managed to lose Chief Benja and General Atitāya in such a short time."

"We just ran ahead a little bit, they should be right behind us," Raya said, gesturing over her shoulder. "We didn't get very far before it started raining, though. Or get a chance to speak with anyone from the new villages. Maybe we can try again in a few days after the roads are dry enough."

Virana frowned but before she had a chance to respond, Benja and Atitāya entered the palace behind them.

"Glad we finally caught up with you, dewdrop," Benja said, placing a hand on Raya's shoulder.

Raya put her hand over his, squeezing it gently as she turned her head to smile at him. "That was fun, but like I was just telling Chief Virana, we didn't get much done. Can we try the walk again later this week?"

Benja exhaled slowly, his eyes flicking to Virana, then back to Raya. "I don't think that's a good idea, dewdrop. I think we should wait longer before we do another walk."

Raya spun around to face him, her brow furrowing as her eyes darted around his face. "But the roads should be dry and safe again in just a couple days."

Atitāya scoffed and crossed her arms. "It's not the roads he's concerned about."

"Atitāya," Virana said, her tone matching her stern glare.

Atitāya clenched her jaw, the muscles in her face tightening as she squared her shoulders. "You need to tell them."

Raya grabbed Namaari's hand, pulling her alongside her as she stepped away from Benja. "Tell us what?"

Benja dropped his head into one of his hands, sighing before he looked up at Raya. "Dewdrop…"

Raya shook her head and took another step back, still keeping Namaari beside her. "Tell us what?" she asked again, this time more firmly.

Atitāya kept her eyes on Raya, ignoring the angry looks Benja and Virana were giving her. "You remember Bayani, the man who interrupted the anniversary party?"

Namaari stiffened, her grip on Raya's hand tightening. Raya took a deep breath before she nodded for Atitāya to continue.

"This conversation is over," Virana said, sweeping her hand in front of her when Atitāya opened her mouth to respond. "General, I order you not to tell them."

Atitāya's face hardened as she clamped her mouth shut, her eyes flicking between Raya and Namaari.

"Atitāya…" Namaari said, her voice wavering slightly. She waited until Atitāya's eyes met her own before speaking again. "Tell us what's going on. Please."

Atitāya inhaled sharply, her hands balling into fists. "Bayani has been busy since the party," she said slowly, her gaze still locked with Namaari's. "He's been spreading his message, gathering followers. They want retribution for the destruction created by the Druun, which they believe you and Princess Raya caused." Her shoulders hunched as she bristled under Virana's fuming glare but kept speaking steadily. "I believe he has enough of a following now that we need to act to stop him. But Chief Benja insists that reacting to his group will only bring them more followers, and Chief Virana agrees with him. I do not."

Raya's mouth dropped open, then snapped shut as she glanced between Benja, Virana, and Atitāya. "He's been doing this for weeks?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice even. Atitāya nodded and Raya looked at Benja, her face twisting with a mixture of confusion and anger. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Benja sighed heavily and crossed his arms. "You both had enough to worry about already. Chief Virana and I agreed that we didn't want to distract you from working on stabilizing your magic."

Raya made a frustrated noise, her arms stiff at her sides. "How could you keep something this important from us for so long?" she demanded, her voice growing louder.

The magic around Raya began to flicker and stutter like a candle caught in a breeze. She turned to look at Namaari and saw tears gathering in her eyes.

"Raya," Benja said carefully, raising his hands and taking a cautious step toward them. "You need to move away from Namaari."

Namaari stared at him for a second, her lower lip trembling as she bit back a sob. She dropped Raya's hand and took off down the hallway before Raya could react.

Atitāya moved to follow Namaari but stopped when Virana stepped in front of her. They glared at each other, anger seething in their eyes, until Atitāya finally looked away.

"We will talk about this later, General," Virana spat, jabbing her finger into Atitāya's chest. Then she spun around and hurried after Namaari.