The ride was uninterrupted by daemons. Andromeda expected to stop a few times along the way, but the vehicle continued to move. Luna seemed just as alert. They had experienced plenty of stops for daemons when just the two of them had driven up to the forest. This time, the Glaives had it under control.
No one spoke much during the ride, either still tired or, in Andromeda's case, dreading what waited for them in Lestallum. She was in trouble with the Lucians before for her powers; now she had also stolen a vehicle and evaded them, dragging Luna along as well. It would take a lot for Luna to convince them that she had gone willingly, acting as an accomplice the whole time.
The vehicle only stopped when they reached Lestallum, parking on the side of the street. The sun was setting already as everyone climbed out. As they stepped onto the sidewalk, Andromeda noticed the changes this time.
The large open square leading into the town was barricaded by scaffolding and sheets of plywood and metal. Hunters were stationed on top of that and a few of the buildings. Many people were working on the barricade and sides of the buildings. Most were installing lights, but some were adding some reinforcements. The small plaza to the north of town was also deserted and the street barricaded in a similar fashion. In between the two barricades there was a makeshift gate made out of two beater cars. In such a short amount of time, Lestallum had become run-down.
The Glaives called to hunters above and the gate was opened for them. They led the way into the narrow streets, which looked both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It hardly seemed like the same town Andromeda had known.
Lestallum's streets hadn't changed in their layout. They soon came into the square from the side street. The street on the other side, was barricaded off as well. The Glaives led the women up the steps to the higher plaza. As Harper had warned Andromeda, there were many other Glaives and Crownsguard bustling around. The entourage caught their attention, turning heads as they passed by.
There was a table set up and covered by maps and documents. A radio sat on the corner. A uniformed woman stood behind it, her back straightening as the Glaives approached her. She raised a brow at what they had brought her. Once the four were before the table, something finally dawned on her. Similarly, Andromeda suddenly remembered who the woman was. It was one person from Insomnia's Citadel that she was glad to see had survived.
"Lady Lunafreya." Monica bowed her head towards the battered princess. "So it's true."
Luna smiled tiredly. "It is, thanks to everyone here."
Monica glanced at Aulea for a moment. She must have recognized her, but was even more doubtful it could really be her. Could Aulea even prove it?
"Where is the Marshal?" Crowe asked, bringing the Crownsguard's attention to herself.
The Crownsguard's tone changed to be slightly authoritative. "He's gone south on a mission. He has left me in charge of the Kingsglaive for the time being. Anything you have to report to him, you can tell me. What's your name?"
Crowe frowned, then nodded. "Crowe Altius, ma'am. I'm reporting in from a mission King Regis sent me on in the spring."
"That was quite awhile ago." The Crownsguard pointed out skeptically after a brief pause. "What was this mission?"
"I was sent to escort Lady Lunafreya from Tenebrae to Altissia for her wedding." Crowe explained. The other woman only looked more skeptical of that.
"There were a few setbacks." Luna added quickly. "And there were some other errands that we had to attend to."
"It doesn't make a lot of sense, we know." Aulea joined in. "We're tired. We've been out in the wilderness for days."
The Crownsguard's shoulders dropped slightly at that. "Very well. You can rest at the Leville. There should still be room enough for you all there. Have your uniform mended." She turned to the escort of Glaives with the women. "Report back here once you've taken them to the hotel."
With a nod from her, the other Glaives led the way through the square again, taking the women to the small barricade they had seen on the south side of town. One of the Glaives knocked and it opened. Two hunters stood guard on the other side, presumably to keep refugees from slipping through. They were trapped here. Andromeda felt no better about coming to Lestallum.
"Who was she?" Luna asked quietly.
"Monica Elshett. She works directly under Cor." Crowe explained.
"That's what her name was! I couldn't remember it." Aulea shook her head. "I don't think she quite recognized me, either."
"It's been twenty years." Andromeda reminded her. Aulea had been considered dead for such a long time that no one would be reminded of her, even as she stood in front of them. Andromeda had never heard of a queen during her teen years in Lucis. Everyone had forgotten about Aulea and moved on. It made traveling with her easy.
"Can any of you sew?" Crowe asked.
"I can mend it." Luna answered quickly. Andromeda knew how to do simple stitches, and she suspected Aulea knew something as well, but Luna would probably have the best skill at it. It seemed like something a princess would know.
Crowe was surprised by the fast reply, then smiled. "Thanks."
The streets were completely different on this side of town. They were much more crowded and littered than Andromeda remembered. People were gathered around everywhere, making the streets even narrower to squeeze through. The four women received a lot of stares as they walked by. Andromeda caught various snippets of hushed conversations. News of the mission to retrieve them was spreading fast. Thankfully, no one stopped them on the way to the hotel.
Andromeda had never been inside of the Leville, but she thought it was largely unchanged. The glass roof above the entryway had been shattered since she had last seen it. There was a sign at the door stating that the hotel was exclusively for Glaives now. No one said anything as they received a room key at the front desk and went upstairs. The escort of Glaives left them at the lobby; the women were not imprisoned here.
Just as in Old Lestallum, they all clamored for the shower, only this time there were four of them. It was reasonably fair to let Crowe and Aulea go first. Luna offered to mend the Glaive's uniform. She and Andromeda visited the front desk again, finding that it provided clothing for refugees and Glaives, and had a sewing kit on hand. The front desk was well-equipped to handle their needs.
It took a couple of hours for them all to get through the shower. It was plenty of time for Luna to mend Crowe's uniform and take it to the front desk to be cleaned. The sun had gone away as they had come to the Leville. Now the city was lit by street lamps.
"Do you know where Solara and Harper are?" Aulea asked Andromeda once they were all cleaned and in new clothing.
The younger woman shook her head. "I just know that they're somewhere here."
It was a surprise she was not bringing up Noctis, who they had presumed to be here among the Glaives. Andromeda was more concerned with finding food, as they hadn't eaten anything all day. She also had to find her aunt and assure her that they had all come back from Niflheim. Linda had been convinced that Andromeda would die over there.
"Well let's go look around, then." Aulea suggested. "We won't find them sitting here."
"Can we get food first? It's not like they're going anywhere." Andromeda reasoned. No one could leave Lestallum. What did it matter if they waited another hour to find Solara and Harper?
"She has a point." Crowe added. "We shouldn't wait much longer or else the lines will be too long."
"Alright." Aulea agreed.
She led the way out of the hotel. They still earned some looks: rumor had begun to spread among the other Glaives that Crowe was in town, and many of them must have known her to be dead. Likewise, now that Luna was cleaned up, she looked more recognizable. She held her head high as she also looked for any sign of Harper or Solara among the many clusters of people.
They followed the general flow of the crowd to the market. It had been completely rearranged: the many vendor tents were all pushed together to create one large covered area, and the tables were arranged in long rows underneath. One line of tables served as the food line. It was where refugees were lining up to be served, having no food in their dwellings. Andromeda was reminded of Altissia, after the covenant with Leviathan.
She and the other three women joined the line and followed along until they each had a full plate of food. They sat away from others, although Andromeda noticed the looks that were cast their way. Thankfully no one approached as they ate dinner. Food made some of their weariness go away. Sleeping in comfortable beds for once would take care of the rest.
As soon as their meals were finished, Aulea led the search for Harper and Solara. It didn't take long to find them, especially with the rumors circulating. Harper must have known they would make it to Lestallum soon. Andromeda caught sight of her first when they left the market and waved to catch her attention. The spy made her way through the crowd, pulling Solara along behind her.
"Aulea!" The girl rushed forward at the sight of her. Harper was only a few steps behind.
Aulea grinned in return. "It's good to see you again."
Solara turned to Luna and humbled her excitement as she bowed to her. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
The gesture seemed strange to come from such a girl. Her bow was very formal—not something one would do in the middle of the street. Like Aulea, Luna hadn't wanted to be treated so graciously by the other three women, so they were all very casual with each other. Andromeda remembered some things about addressing royalty, but often enough she refused to show such consideration towards Luna. She found it jarring when someone did behave formally towards Luna. Sometimes it was like Andromeda forgot she was a princess.
Luna smiled and bowed her head towards Solara. "It's an honor to meet you as well, Your Highness."
Now the girl was bashful. Harper cleared her throat.
"No one seems to know," She mentioned quietly, as if Solara wasn't there to hear her. "I've heard nothing among the Imperials."
That also came as a surprise. Solara had originally introduced herself with her full name, and her surname had been Aldercapt—the same Aldercapt as the Emperor. How could no one know that the Emperor of Niflheim had a heir? For his age, it should have been a large concern among the public. The Imperial refugees that had already arrived must not have been very high up in the ranks. Andromeda began to realize that Solara had been very hidden, even within Gralea.
They all let it pass. Aulea smiled again. "What have you been up to?"
"Not a lot." Solara admitted with a shrug. "Harper and I have just been waiting for you to come."
"Have you made any friends?"
Solara shook her head.
Aulea stood. "Well why don't you come with us? If Harper doesn't mind."
She looked to the other woman for confirmation. Solara looked to both of them. It was clear to everyone that Aulea felt some attachment to Solara, but they had only seen each other once before for five minutes. Harper had been staying in Lestallum with the girl for several days. Andromeda remembered what she had said, though. Harper was not one to settle down.
"That's fine. I've been thinking about helping the hunters." She said. She bumped Solara's shoulder with her fist. "Aulea will take good care of you, kiddo."
"Okay." Solara smiled and nodded.
It was oddly fitting that Aulea would look after her. She was the Lucian Queen Mother, and Solara was the apparent heir of Niflheim. Even though the Empire had crushed all of Lucis, now it seemed as though Lucis had persevered enough to outlast Niflheim. Lucis would be rebuilt much faster than Niflheim. It was best for the survival of humanity.
With Solara and Harper found, there was nothing else pressing for them to address as a group. Andromeda looked towards the end of the street. Linda had been settled in Lestallum long before the nights started to get longer. She shouldn't have moved or anything.
"I'm going to go check in with my aunt." Andromeda told the group, not bothering to ask if it was okay first.
No sooner did Aulea give her a nod did she take off through the streets, moving along faster on her own. She knew the way very well, even if she had only gone there a couple of times before. Andromeda had stayed in Lestallum for two years while attending college, before getting caught by Niflheim for using her powers near one of their military bases. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Her life had only gotten more complicated since that fateful day four years ago.
It took little time before Andromeda was standing on the doorstep. She noticed the lights were still on inside and knocked on the door. She wasn't sure how late it was, but didn't think it would matter.
The door opened and Linda stood frozen before her. For a couple of seconds, neither one of them moved, as if unsure the other was really real. Then she pulled Andromeda into her arms, and into the one-room apartment. Her husband and toddler stopped playing their game on the other side of the room to see what was happening.
"I thought you were gone." Linda sniffed, continuing to hold onto Andromeda. "We heard what happened in Niflheim and I thought there's no way you were coming back."
"But I did come back. Everyone came back." Andromeda assured her, holding her just as tightly. "We don't have to worry about the Empire again."
Linda finally let go to look at her again. "What did you do? You must have done something."
Andromeda shook her head. "It wasn't me."
"Don't do that again."
"I won't. I can't. There's no going back to Niflheim or even Tenebrae. They don't even get sunlight now."
Linda sighed. "Lucis won't be much different soon. The sun doesn't make a difference against the daemons now. The power plant can't keep the lights on forever. There was a loud shattering noise several days ago, and the daemons came into Lestallum. The town has made a barricade to keep them out, now that the sun won't. Why is all of this happening?"
"I don't know." Andromeda half-lied. She didn't know why it had to happen this way, but it was what the Astrals wanted. Either humanity would be snuffed out in the dark, or eventually would be shown mercy.
Kai came up from behind his mother, holding his hands up towards Andromeda with a grin. "Andy!"
"Andy?" She complained to Linda as she gladly picked him up.
She had spent such little time with her baby cousin, yet he recognized her and was excited to see her. Andromeda was touched. For a moment, she lamented that she always had to go someplace. Maybe being stuck in Lestallum wouldn't be such a bad idea, if she could spend time with Kai.
"You can't expect a three-year-old to be able to pronounce your name." Linda crossed her arms. "Be grateful he even knows who you are."
Kai giggled as Andromeda bounced him slightly. "Let's go for a walk. Someone wants to meet you."
"Who?" Travis came to the door then. It was still odd for Andromeda to think that she had an uncle now—odder than having a cousin. "It's almost time for curfew."
"She's not far." She assured them. "At least not where I left her."
Sharing a glance, Linda and Travis decided to follow along. Andromeda led the way through the streets, carrying a babbling Kai as it was still messy and crowded. It only got worse as they approached the market. There were mumblings among the crowd about the Oracle. She suspected the other women hadn't made it far at all.
The crowd reluctantly parted to let Andromeda, Linda, and Travis through. Crowe and Aulea stood off to the side with Solara. Andromeda saw them first and approached with Kai. He caught sight of Aulea and reached out for her. Aulea's face brightened as Andromeda passed him over to her.
Linda and Travis barely greeted the other two women as they noticed Luna standing at the center of the crowd. The rumors had led to a confrontation, which now led to a revelation for the whole town: the Oracle was alive and in Lestallum. Many people had gathered to speak to her, or even just to see her for themselves.
Despite the demand on her attention, Luna took notice of Andromeda's return. She stepped closer to them, excusing herself momentarily from the rest of the crowd.
"Luna, this is my aunt Linda, her husband Travis, and Aulea's holding Kai." Andromeda then grinned towards Linda. "This is Lady Lunafreya."
Her aunt and uncle gaped, then bowed their heads. Linda stumbled over her words, but more or less did the same as Solara had done earlier. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."
"The honor is all mine." Luna nodded to them, then turned to Kai, who clung to Aulea. "Hello."
He smiled bashfully from Aulea's arms. She patted his dark curls. "Can you say hi?"
"Hi." Kai giggled. "You're pretty!"
Everyone within earshot broke into laughter. It only gave him more attention, and he beamed from it.
"Thank you." Luna chuckled. She turned back to the parents. "Your son is adorable."
Linda tried multiple times to thank Luna, but between the nerves and Kai's innocent cluelessness, she couldn't stop laughing to get it out.
Kai wasn't the only child among the crowd. Luna's attention was drawn to others and their concerns. Andromeda gestured for her aunt and uncle to step back again. She glanced at Solara, who stood at Aulea's side and looked up at the toddler curiously. Kai had also taken notice of her, although he didn't tell her she was pretty.
"Hi." He didn't need to be prompted by Aulea this time.
"Hello." Solara greeted.
Linda had since stopped laughing, but was still nervous when she addressed Andromeda. "Is this why you had to go to Niflheim?"
Andromeda shook her head. "No, but she's why I haven't been able to stay in Lestallum before."
"Maybe we should talk about it more sometime." Her aunt suggested after a moment of thought.
Andromeda was surprised. Linda didn't like any mention of her powers or Astrals. She didn't even know that Andromeda could heal people just as Luna could, or visit other people in their dreams. After reuniting in Insomnia, it was an unspoken rule that they wouldn't speak of it. At times, it was almost impossible not to address those powers. Now it seemed that her aunt was open to the discussion.
"Solara," Andromeda called the girl's attention. "This is my aunt Linda and uncle Travis. That's my cousin Kai."
She had been probably paying attention as Andromeda had introduced them to Luna. Nonetheless, until this point, they had overlooked her as she seemed to stand in Aulea's shadow.
"Hey there." Linda was much more comfortable speaking to Solara than she had been for Luna.
"Solara, right?" Travis asked, not having heard quite correctly.
"Yes, sir." Solara bowed her head to them. "Solara Aldercapt Antiquum."
They both raised brows at that. Andromeda put a finger to her lips as they looked to her for an explanation. That was something she couldn't explain to them.
"Oh, so she's not yours." Linda remarked to Aulea.
The queen only chuckled at the idea. She and Solara both had dark hair, so it wasn't implausible that they could be mother and daughter. Aulea also looked good for 50-years-old.
"Not quite like that. She's in my care, though." She mentioned.
It was then that the crowd quickly parted to let someone else forward. Andromeda found it strange how the person was allowed to move so quickly through the gathering, until she saw the Crownsguard uniform. Monica made straight for Luna and the other women. She stopped once she was let through, looking over them all.
"I need to speak privately with the four of you." She announced quietly to them, then addressed the crowd in a louder voice. "The curfew is in effect! Go inside!"
There was some grumbling among the people. With the Oracle right there, they felt they no longer had to worry about daemons swooping down from the night sky above.
Luna didn't have to raise her voice to be heard over them; they went quiet the moment she began talking. "She's right. I must part from you all for now. Seek shelter. I will come again soon."
At her encouragement, the people began to go off to whatever housing had been assigned to them. Aulea handed Kai back to Linda.
"I'll catch up with you in the morning." Andromeda told her aunt. "I promise."
"You'd better. No taking off in the night." Linda chided, then followed Travis's lead back home.
"Alright then." Monica glanced at Solara and hesitated.
"She's with us." Aulea asserted. "She is Solara Aldercapt Antiquum."
The Crownsguard raised a brow, but did not argue. She ushered them back to the Leville. After the excitement of the crowd, Andromeda thought some decent sleep would be nice. It was doubtful Monica would be quick in whatever she wanted to discuss. Perhaps she would tell them where to find Noctis. There was still no mention of the Marshal; Andromeda expected him to be on his way to Lestallum now that the Oracle made contact with one of his Crownsguard.
The four women returned to their room with Solara and Monica in tow. The latter shut the door behind them all. She remained standing while everyone else settled on the furniture.
"Once again, I am glad for your survival, Lady Lunafreya." Monica nodded towards her as she began. She glanced at Aulea. "For all of you. Although your situation still remains unclear to me."
"The four of us were dead at one point or another." Aulea spoke grimly, saying what Monica wouldn't. "There are a lot of things happening now that don't make sense."
The guard took a moment to speak again, realizing what Aulea was confirming. "Cor has been searching for you four. He had said something similar to that, but he would not elaborate. He wanted to personally see you when the Glaive retrieved you. Unfortunately, he is not answering his cellphone. He went south to clear out an Imperial base. Prince Noctis and his retinue are to meet him there."
"Our meeting can't wait any longer." Aulea shook her head. "Take us to them in the morning. It might be better if we all meet outside of town."
Monica frowned. "Travel is dangerous right now."
"Oh, we know," Aulea reminded her. They had just spent several days stranded outside of the safety of outposts. "And we can all handle it."
After another moment of consideration, the other woman relented. "Alright. I'll prepare an escort to leave first thing in the morning, Your Majesty."
The formal address startled Aulea, and everyone else in the room. It was the first time in a couple of months that anyone addressed her as so. Unlike her three traveling companions, she could not dissuade Monica from using formal titles. It couldn't be avoided any longer.
Everyone but Andromeda was glad to hear Monica give in. It was exactly what they were looking for: a meeting with Noctis, and Cor. Meeting with Noctis was more important, especially considering that the last covenant with Bahamut had not been forged. He was the last ruling king left.
"Thank you." Luna bowed her head when Aulea still did not reply. "We must speak with them as soon as possible."
"Of course, Your Highness." Monica bowed in return. "We'll leave as soon as the sun is up. Now you should really get some rest. I'll be waiting for you all at the command center."
She left at that. For a moment, everyone remained where they were as they processed the information. Luna and Aulea were grinning.
"We'll finally be able to speak again." Luna mused to herself.
"Maybe Aulea won't flub it up for herself this time." Andromeda muttered. Aulea still heard it from the other bed where she sat and threw her a look.
"Perhaps this time you'll show better manners." She retorted lightly. She glanced at Solara sitting next to her. "Do you want to come along?"
"Really?" The girl asked, surprised by the offer.
"Are you sure about that?" Crowe asked doubtfully. It did sound like a bad idea to take a naive civilian to an Imperial base, full of troopers and mechs.
Aulea shrugged. "Why not? Noctis should have arrived there already. With his help, Cor should have the base cleared of any Magitek or daemons that might be there. I think it would be safer for all of us than staying here in town. There are too many people here, and we can't risk running into the wrong sort."
She had chosen her words carefully, not wanting to talk about Solara while the girl was sitting right there. Andromeda understood; if the Imperials discovered Solara, they would either declare her false and try to harm her, or rally around her and place a child on their throne as quickly as possible to build back their power. Neither sounded good for her.
Surely some in Niflheim must have known about Solara. If they did, they didn't know she had escaped Gralea alive. How could no one have known about an Imperial heir, that their frail old Emperor had had a child after all? Andromeda might not want to hear the full answer to that question, as well as some of the others she had.
"Let's get some sleep." Aulea stated when no one had anything to say. "The morning will be here soon enough."