Part VII

The last time they were in Sol-Falena they were taken straight to the Parliament building. But when it came time to be fifteen minutes before their audience with Queen Lymsleia, they were escorted directly into the Sun Palace. It was surreal; the palace was larger than life, possibly bigger than even the Grand Citadel of Mlkwt Alsmwat. There were multiple guards on duty as they walked across the bridge and entered through the giant front doors. They passed through an entryway before reaching the main entrance hall.

The surroundings were immediately familiar to Daunte and he paused in his tracks. Without any of the tables and the decorations the entrance hall looked much larger. But…But this had been the place where Archana had her wedding reception with her husband. This was where they were poisoned. He looked to his left and even saw the place on the floor where Darrick and Archana had collapsed.

"Daunte?" Arin looked up at him. "Are you all right?"

Daunte quickly shook his head. "Y-Yes, I'm fine."

"You all will be announced in shortly," Cius told them. "In the meantime, please wait out here. If you'll excuse me, I must return to work."

"Thank you for the escort," Caesar told him.

"Yes, thank you," Daunte added.

Cius nodded. "You're welcome."

Cius took his leave, and the group took the opportunity to look at their surroundings. Almost everyone was in awe, including Caesar. "I can see my reflection in the floor," he said idly. He laughed a little. "This reminds me of the palace in Gregminster…"

Daunte tried to shake the unease of being in the main hall and leaned his right hand against the wall. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Get yourself together, Daunte. You'll need to have a clear head when you present yourself before Queen Lymsleia.

The Rune of Restoration then suddenly glowed, and Daunte shouted and retracted his hand. No, not now! he clutched his hand to his chest and closed his eyes.

"See? Didn't I tell you this looks much better?"

Daunte opened his eyes and looked to his left. And gaped.

"Oh, I love it when a plan comes together!" a teenaged girl declared, laughing heartily. She had long silver hair that was tied in two long braids. She wiped at her forehead, which left an emerald green smear. "Didn't I say that the color was perfect?"

There was emerald green paint everywhere. It stretched nearly across the length of the wall and puddles of paint were all over the floor. The oldest girl stood there, covered in paint but admiring her "work". A younger teenage girl with silver hair was pressing her hands in the puddles and slapping handprints on the wall. A little black-haired boy and tawny-haired girl were giggling and flicking wet paint brushes at each other. And an even young boy and girl, both with dark hair, were painting the walls with paintbrushes so big that they had to hold them in both hands. Every single one of them was covered in green paint. Behind them stood two maids, who looked very distressed but clearly were too afraid to stop the group from doing what they were doing.

"Remember when she got the bright idea to paint the main hall of the Sun Palace emerald green?"

Daunte knew then what this memory detailed and burst into loud laughter.

"Once we're finished with these walls, then we need to move on to the ceiling!" Archana declared. She struck a triumphant pose and pointed upwards. "Yes—Yes, it will be perfect!"

"Cousin Archana, how are we going to reach the ceiling?" Surya looked up from flicking his paintbrush at Mokuren. Mokuren took the opportunity to flick her brush at him, and a glob of green paint hit his cheek.

"We'll need much larger paintbrushes," Kaylani said with total seriousness.

"M-Maybe we should stand on each other's shoulders to reach the ceiling!" Freyr spoke up.

"Archana, why are we painting the entrance hall?" Farrin spoke up.

"Aren't you having fun?" Archana asked her. Farrin gave this a lot of thought and nodded enthusiastically. "Then that's what counts!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Daunte jumped violently at this shriek of horror. The sound startled the younger royals as well, with the exception of Archana. No, she didn't even falter as she turned around. "Ah, Aunt Lym! You're just in time!"

Daunte slowly turned. He saw Queen Lymsleia standing there, and she was breathing heavily with rage. Behind Lymsleia he could see Freyjadour and Lyon hurrying forward. Both of them looked horrified. Daunte also saw Shoon emerge from one of the doors on the side, and the ridiculous sight in front of him made him bark with laughter briefly before he slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Archana, you—" Lymsleia was gesturing wildly with her hands. Her face was turning red. "What have you done?!"

The younger children looked terrified by her anger, but Archana didn't even flinch. "Oh, don't be upset Aunt Lym!" she almost reached for Lymsleia, but quickly retracted her hands when she saw they were covered in paint. "This is…um…uh…"

"Lady Archana!" Lyon quickly spoke up, walking forward to stand at Lymsleia's side. "This behavior from someone your age is most disgraceful! We will notify your parents at once!"

"Are you kidding?!" Lymsleia snapped at Lyon. "Aunt Haswar will think this is funny!" she turned her glare back to Archana. "Why have you done th—STOP PAINTING THE WALLS!" she snapped at Surya and Mokuren, who had returned to painting the walls.

"Please don't yell at them," Archana said in a pleading tone, though Daunte could see by her expression that she still thought all of this was amusing. "If you must yell at someone, Aunt Lym, please yell at me."

"I am yelling at you!" Lymsleia bellowed out. "This was clearly YOUR idea! Why have you done this?!"

"Well…don't you like the color?" she gestured to the wall. "It complements the lighting in the room."

"You—"

"Your Majesty!"

Daunte jumped as the doors leading to the entryway burst open and four people rushed inside. One was an older man and the other three were teenage boys. His brow rose when he realized all four of them had their swords drawn. "We heard you scream! We…" the older man at the front paused when he saw the royals covered in paint. The man looked very familiar to Daunte…

"General Dinn, sorry to concern you," Lyon told the man. "But as you can see, Her Majesty is not in any danger. Are you visiting Sol-Falena with your sons?"

"Yes, you remember them right, Lady Lyon?" Dinn sheathed his sword and gestured to the teenagers behind him. "My firstborn Israfil, my second-born Darian, and my fifth-born Kir." He gestured to each boy in kind but Daunte's eyes widened. Fifth-born? Just how many children does he have?!

But at least he knew why the man looked familiar; it was Israfil's father. The teenaged Israfil was looking at his surroundings with obvious shock.

"Evil spirits!" Archana suddenly shouted, startling everyone except for Lymsleia. "We did this to ward off evil spirits!"

"Right!" Kaylani perked up, coming to stand beside her older sister. "Green is a color that wards off evil spirits!"

Lymsleia gave them both a hard look. "And since when does the Sun Palace have evil spirits?!"

"Oh, it doesn't hurt to be cautious!" Archana said. She moved down the length of the wall. "The protection of the Sun Rune is hardly enough! With the green paint, there will never be a threat to us aga—AUGH!" she promptly skidded in a large puddle of paint and slipped, falling flat on her back right in the middle of the puddle.

"Cousin Archana!" Surya rushed to her side. "Are you okay?!"

But Archana was laughing hysterically as she sat up. Her entire back was now covered in paint, as was three-quarters of her silver hair. "Oops!"

Daunte felt something grab his arm. "My Lord."

Daunte blinked, and just as quickly the memory was gone. He looked to his right and saw Caesar. "Are you okay?"

Daunte nodded. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. My Rune was…" He withdrew his hand from the wall. "Acting funny." It had been a memory that Surya, Mokuren, and Israfil had discussed on their way to the Great Cistern. It was hard to believe that the bubbly teenage girl who had the utterly insane idea to paint the walls green was the same subdued woman who was still deep in mourning.

Surya said he missed that Archana. Now I've seen just how different she really was back then.

"Well, better now than in front of the Queen," Caesar said lightly.

"Where did Reis go?" Roen asked suddenly. Daunte realized that indeed the researcher had left.

"She probably went to find the Sun Rune," Caesar said dismissively. "It's okay. She didn't agree to come with us to participate in this audience anyway."

"Dignitaries of Nagarea!" the group jumped as a clerk emerged from the throne room. "Her Majesty will see you now!"

"This is it," Caesar told them. "Lord Daunte, please walk at the front of the group. We'll follow behind you."

Daunte nodded and took Arin by the hand. He did several breathing exercises as they walked towards the throne room, wanting to keep the outward appearance of calm. He knew he had to be careful. Perhaps the Falenas royal family still owed him, but he knew if he said the wrong word or acted the wrong way like Bearyl had, that they would lose any political advantage with Falena.

Just keep calm and be yourself, Daunte.

"Presenting Lord Commander Daunte! Chief Strategist Caesar Silverberg! And other representatives of the Theocracy of Nagarea's Liberation Army!" was their formal introduction into the throne room.

Daunte did not pause in his steps, but he was surprised by what he saw. On the dais before him he saw Queen Lymsleia seated on a large throne. Crowned Princess Farrin was seated in a smaller throne beside her. Next to Lymsleia stood Freyjadour, and next to Farrin stood Shoon. On both sides of the dais stood the other members of the Falenas royal family—Haswar, Craig, Freyr, Signe, Silvano, and Kaylani holding her infant son. Standing to attention on either side of the carpet around them were several Queen's Knights. At the front of the line stood Surya, who grinned at him and nodded. Mokuren stood behind Surya and waved.

Daunte however noticed tha Archana was not present along with her family. I hope she's doing okay.

Lymsleia and Farrin stood up from their thrones once they got close enough to the dais. Daunte did a full bow before them, and the others in his group followed suit. He almost began speaking, but realized it would be more proper to wait for Lymsleia to speak and remained silent.

"Dignitaries of Nagarea, welcome back to Sol-Falena," Lymsleia greeted them. "How was your trip here?"

"We experienced no difficulties and we received a respectful welcome upon our arrival," Daunt said, straightening. "Thank you for the invitation."

"Thank you for your courteous offer," Lymsleia said to him. "I regret that our previous meeting did not have a beneficial outcome for your Army. However, I see that the Liberation Army has elected you as their leader. After everything you have done for my family, Lord Daunte, I'm very reassured by the direction your Army is going in."

To Daunte's right, a female Queen's Knight in her late forties suddenly burst into hysterical giggles. Seeming to forget her position, she suddenly stepped forward and smiled impishly. "My oh my oh my! What a treat this is to finally meet the Princess's fiancé!"

Farrin immediately blushed, and the entire throne room erupted into laughter. "Miakis, stop!" the Crowned Princess exclaimed.

"Oh, don't be so embarrassed Princess! Did you not publicly declare your intentions for this young man? Hmmm?"

"Stop talking to me like I'm a child!" Farrin stomped her feet in frustration.

"Brother!" Arin shouted. He was glaring up at Daunte. "You're engaged to a princess?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

Daunte stared blankly at Arin as the laughter rose in volume around them. Even Roen and Felicity were in stitches. Thankfully, Queen Lymsleia brought everyone back down to earth. "Ah, so this is Arin? Your younger brother, Lord Daunte?"

"Y-Yes, your Majesty," Daunte stammered, looking back up at her.

"Arin," Lymsleia said, addressing the child directly. "You must be fond of your older brother."

"Oh, yes I am!" Arin said, immediately perking up. "He's the best big brother in the world! He's done so much to protect me and to make me well again! He's been hurt so badly to protect me, but he's never complained! He's never blamed me for anything! I don't know how I'll ever repay him!"

"Arin, you don't have to repay me," Daunte interjected, flushing slightly. "You're alive and you're healthy. That's all that matters to me."

"Lord Daunte mentioned you quite a bit when he was last here," Lymsleia said, still addressing Arin. "And Surya has also spoken of you. I'm glad to meet you when you're much better."

Arin nodded happily. "I'm fine! And it's thanks to my brother!"

Lymsleia was smiling brightly as she straightened. "Big brothers really are wonderful, aren't they?" out of the corner of his eye, Daunte saw Freyjadour flush slightly. He remembered Surya telling him how Freyjadour had started a civil war in Falena to rescue Lymsleia from usurpers. He realized then that Lymsleia was relating to Arin from her own experiences and his spirits lifted considerably. This audience is off to a very good start.

"But let us turn to the purpose of your arrival here," Lymsleia said, turning her gaze towards Daunte. "After we received your correspondence Lord Daunte, the Parliament voted to leave any decisions related to Nagarea to my judgment." She gestured forward. "The floor is your, Lord Daunte."

Daunte swallowed thickly. The was the moment of truth. Despite the more positive reception than what they'd received before, he knew he still had to be careful about what he said and how he presented himself. Daunte knew his own intentions were sincere, but he also knew that if Queen Lymsleia felt that he was trying to manipulate her that she would reject him.

I'll just speak from my heart, then.

"Queen Lymsleia," Daunte began, holding her gaze with his own. "When I was last here, I spoke to you about our imprisonment in the Dark Chasm. And you saw what…" his mangled fingers twitched slightly and he shook his head. "I'm happy to report to you that we have liberated that place. It is no longer in operation."

"Good!" Surya burst out. Daunte looked at him. "I'm glad to see that the Liberation Army is finally living up to the liberation part of its name!"

"Surya," Lyon scolded him softly. Surya immediately clammed up.

"The children are freed," Daunte continued, looking back at Lymsleia. "However, my Army lacks the resources to give them the care they need. We only have two doctors, and they have been overwhelmed with the workload of overseeing their health. My soldiers have also have had to divert their time to take care of them. I feel it's my duty to make sure they all become well again, however the Liberation Army is currently fledgling. We have gotten new recruits, but as things stand I cannot care for the children and care for my soldiers at the same time. I…" Daunte swallowed again. This was much more difficult than he'd imagined it would be. But he took a deep breath and let it out slowly before finishing. "We have come here to ask Falena for formal assistance in taking in the refugees of the Dark Chasm."

The room was silent. Everyone waited with abated breath for Lymsleia's response. Finally, she said, "How many soldiers are under your command?"

"We currently have approximately 3,500 soldiers," Caesar spoke up. "By comparison, the Theocracy has well over 200,000 soldiers."

"And how many refugees do you have?"

Daunte himself wanted to answer this question. "Three hundred and thirteen. Almost two-thirds of them are still suffering from malnutrition. And recently I was notified by Dr. Yulin, the Army's chief surgeon, that almost thirty a…" he had to pause again before speaking. "Twenty-seven of the children are so weak that they're barely conscious most of the time. There is not one child who hasn't broken at least one bone once, and barely a quarter of the children are making a full recovery."

Murmurs of disbelief and horror filled the room but Lymsleia raised her hand for silence. "I don't doubt your story, Lord Daunte. Surya has reported to me what he himself witnessed in the Dark Chasm during his stay there. But I must say that your request for us to take in three hundred and thirteen children is quite a heavy request."

"I know," Daunte said softly. "But we have tried to care for them and we have not been successful. It is my wish by coming here that I can convince you to provide them with assistance."

"Is this the only reason for your visit?" Lymsleia asked him. "You're not asking to enter in to a formal alliance with us?"

"As beneficial as that would be, my Lord's primary concern is the care for those children," Caesar said. "We lack the resources to give them the care they need. However, Your Majesty, the Queendom of Falena has bountiful resources that would allow for them all to make a full recovery. Caring for these children is my Lord's primary concern. Having them here will also allow for us to focus on building our Army."

"If I may speak?" Shoon asked suddenly, stepping forward.

"Of course," Lymsleia told her husband.

Shoon gave Daunte a leveling look. "How do we know that this proposal for us to take in refugees isn't just a smokescreen for you to milk sympathy points from us to guilt us into an alliance?"

Daunte expected this question, but he didn't expect the anger to surge through him. "I don't need sympathy points," he snapped at the Prince Consort. "I think I've already proven myself to most everyone in this room! All I care about is getting help for my friends! They suffered so greatly and even now, with their freedom, they continue to suffer! I've tried so hard to make things easier for them, but nothing that we've done has given them what they needed! It shames me to stand here begging for help because deep down I feel like I'm casting them out! But they're not getting better, and I want them to get better!" he looked back at Lymsleia. "If you don't want to enter in to an alliance with us, that's fine. We didn't exactly inspire confidence the last time we were here. But please—please don't think I'm here to manipulate you! I just want help for my friends! I've seen so many of them die already! I don't want any more of them to die!"

Once more the room fell silent from Daunte's outburst. He struggled to get his breathing under control but he also felt a little embarrassed. He hadn't meant to lose his temper like that, especially at the Queen's own husband. He looked at Arin, and his little brother looked a little afraid by his angry he was. Daunte forced himself to calm down and gave him a half-hug.

"I hope you have been paying attention, Caesar Silverberg," Lymsleia said suddenly.

Daunte's head snapped up and he looked at Lymsleia with alarm. Caesar stepped forward to stand at Daunte's side. "I have, You Majesty."

"This is what defines a leader," Lymsleia said, gesturing to Daunte. "Having the presence to exude authority, but also knowing when to sacrifice your pride for the sake of the people who serve under you." She smiled at Farrin. "You chose well."

Farrin turned even darker red and Daunte let out the breath he'd been holding. So…So I didn't blow it for us?

"I hope you'll forgive me, Lord Daunte," Lymsleia said. "For I only told you a half-truth. When I said that Parliament left the matter of Nagarea to my judgment, that only applied to whether or not we would enter in to a formal alliance with you. Regarding the matter of the refugees, we had already voted in agreement to accept them."

Daunte's jaw dropped and he gaped at her. Wait. Wait, wait, wait! They already decided BEFORE I came here to accept our refugees? Then why am I here?!

"But despite knowing that you are a good man, I still wanted to observe you to see if you were being sincere in your intentions," Lymsleia continued. "You are quite a stoic young man, but I believe in how passionate you are to maintain the well-being of your allies."

"I agree as well," Shoon said, smiling at Daunte.

"I also believe that you did not come here to guilt me into pledging Falena to your cause," Lymsleia said. "There is still a lot of uncertainty. I know nothing of the topography of Nagarea, nor do I know what your political intentions are. However, I have decided that I will pledge soldiers to you regardless."

"Really?!" Felicity cried out.

"Does this mean…?" Roen said.

Lymsleia came off the dais to stand directly before Daunte. "As the Queen of Falena, I hereby offer you allegiance. It's in our best interests that you succeed, and I fully believe that you will succeed."

Daunte was stunned. Lymsleia had rejected Bearyl's offer for an alliance because she didn't believe he would be successful. And she didn't think he was organized or cared about the fate of his soldiers. Daunte obviously care, but…but in that moment he realized that he wasn't entire sure of what was going to happen once they were victorious.

But she still believes in me regardless.

He bowed to her respectfully. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"For the time being, I will lend you one thousand soldiers," Lymsleia said as he straightened. Daunte heard the door to the throne room open and turned. "Part of this group will be soldier's from Sable's Defense Force, led by General Israfil Raulbel."

"It would be my honor to join in an alliance with you," Israfil said. He saluted and smiled at Daunte. "It has been a long time, my Lord. I will do my absolute best to ensure that you succeed."

Daunte nodded and grinned at him. "Thank you, General."

"Another unit of soldiers will be led by Silvano," Lymsleia said. Silvano stepped forward and bowed.

A spike of shock shook Daunte and he frantically shook his head. "Y-You can't!"

Silvano paused. "I'm sorry?"

"Lady Kaylani just had a baby!" Daunte reminded him. "You're a new father! You can't leave your wife and son behind to fight for an Army in a foreign country!"

Silvano relaxed, and he smiled a little. "Your concern is flattering. But it's okay, Lord Daunte. I owe you everything, and I can do no better than to fight for you."

"But—"

"Lord Daunte, it's okay," Kaylani interjected, stepping forward. She cuddled her baby to her chest. "I understand what Silvano needs to do and I don't fault him for it. I believe he will do all he can to bring you victory."

Daunte felt very uncomfortable by this. There was a risk that Silvano might die if he were to charge with the Liberation Army. Just the thought of leaving Kaylani without her husband, and their son without a father, was very disconcerting. But he saw the determination in Silvano's expression, and the acceptance in Kaylani's, and Daunte reluctantly nodded. "Thank you, Silvano. I'm honored."

"Your Majesty."

Daunte looked over his shoulder. Surya broke line formation and moved to stand beside Daunte. He saluted his aunt. "Your Majesty, I request a leave of absence from my position as a Queen's Knight. I owe Lord Daunte my life, and I feel the only way I can repay him is that I serve him in the Liberation Army."

Daunte stared at him stunned, but Surya was staring at the Queen and did not glance his way. He looked at Lymsleia and saw that she was smiling.

"Oh…I don't know," Lymsleia said playfully. "I may be Queen, but I'm not the Commander of the Queen's Knights. I will have to defer to his judgment."

Lyon broke formation and walked over to Freyjadour's side. The pair spoke quietly amongst themselves for a few moments. Daunte did not hear anything they were saying. Finally, Freyjadour stepped off the dais and walked over to stand in front of his son. They stared at each other in silence for a moment before Freyjadour smiled and put a hand on Surya's shoulder. He looked to Daunte then and nodded in encouragement.

Daunte let out a short breath of relief, and Surya turned to face Daunte. "Then, from this moment forward I pledge myself to your cause."

"Thank you," Daunte said, and shook his hand. It felt surreal that Surya would be with them again after so long.

"I imagine you'll be joining him, Mokuren?" Lymsleia asked.

"Of course, your Majesty," Mokuren said, moving to stand beside her charge. "Where the Prince goes, I will go."

"Then it is settled!" Caesar announced, clapping his hands together. "We will send word back to Nagarea for them to prep the children for their arrival here!"

Daunte nodded and looked to Lymsleia once more. "Thank you for doing this. For the children and for providing us soldiers."

"You saved my family," Lymsleia responded. "This is the very least I can do for you."

Reis had still not reemerged when they left the throne room, but Daunte wasn't too concerned. Per Caesar's suggestion they were going to be staying in Sol-Falena until the children of the Dark Chasm arrived. Daunte looked forward to it.

We can finally do good by them!

"Aunt Lym has asked the inn in town to provide accommodations," Surya told them. Daunte's entourage had been joined by Surya, Mokuren, and Israfil. Though Silvano was still joining them, he obviously wanted to spend as much time with Kaylani as possible before leaving. "She did say you could stay for free, but—"

"I don't mind paying full price for our rooms," Daunte said. Though his own wallet was empty after buying the figurines, Caesar had at least provided the necessary Potch for them to pay full price.

"That's awfully kind of you, my Lord," Mokuren said.

"Mokuren!"

The group stopped as an older gentleman in his fifties raced over to them. He was dressed in very aristocratic clothing, and his short tawny hair had lines of silver in it. He was wringing his hands slightly, and his expression was full of worry. "Mokuren," he said again.

"Father!" Mokuren greeted him, hurrying over to give him a hug. "Did you just arrive from Rainwall?"

"Yes, yes! I had heard that dignitaries from Nagarea were returning, so I knew that Prince Surya would want to join them. And by extension, you would be joining them." the man perked up slightly when he saw Surya and bowed slightly. "Hello, Prince."

"Lord Euram, hello," Surya greeted him, but the other man shook his head. "Please don't address me with such a title. I no longer carry such a title, nor am I worthy of such a title."

Huh? Daunte wondered.

"Since you're here, I'll introduce you," Mokuren said. She turned to face Daunte. "Lord Daunte, this is my father Euram Barows. When you were last here you undoubtedly met my Aunt Luserina right?"

Daunte remembered the beautiful woman who spoke during the Parliament's assembly. He also remembered the strong family resemblance between Luserina and Mokuren. So, Mokuren is her niece?

"Luserina has done an excellent job in her position," Euram said. He laughed slightly. "She's always had a better head for politics than me. I just have a knack for making things worse."

"Father, please don't talk about yourself like that," Mokuren said softly. But Euram shook his head. "It's the truth, my dear daughter."

"We're not leaving this moment," Surya said. "We'll be departing after the refugees arrive, so you'll have plenty of time to spend with Mokuren."

"No, she belongs at your side, Prince Surya." Euram gave Mokuren another hug but looked at her closely. "Now don't forget, Mokuren. Don't forget your duty to the Royal Family. Don't forget that you must do everything you can to help and serve the Queen."

"I know, Mokuren said, nodding.

Daunte looked between them and frowned. He…seems to be putting a lot of pressure on her, isn't he? What exactly is going on here?

"Mokuren has never done anything to shame or embarrass me," Surya said, coming to stand at her side. "So you have nothing to fear, Euram."

Euram nodded and released her. "Then, I'll leave you to your work, my daughter."

"Right!" Mokuren said, striking a triumphant pose. The group continued on their way out of the Sun Palace, but Daunte looked over his shoulder. Euram was standing there watching them leave, and he had a look of pride on his face. But…But he also had a look of sadness in his expression.

Mokuren noticed this, and waited until they were in the entryway of the palace before speaking. "My father was a traitor."

Daunte gaped at her but she shrugged. "Or at least that's what he's always said. I've never really heard anyone say anything bad about him so I don't know for sure."

"Traitor or not, he's done everything he can to redeem himself," Surya added. "Father and Aunt Lym feel he's done enough, but he doesn't think so. He always carries this guilt around and…" he waved a dismissive hand. "Never mind. Let's keep moving."

They ventured outside. As they descended the front steps of the Sun Palace, Daunte noticed some slight movement underneath the first archway. Someone was sitting in the shadows of the archway. Daunte stopped on the last step, and Arin bumped into him from behind. "What's wrong?"

Before Daunte could speak though, the figure under the archway stood up and emerged into the sunlight. Daunte saw the mourning dress the person wore, and knew who it was before his eyes lifted to her face. Before he could say anything though, he felt Israfil step down to his left side. "Lady Archana."

"Archana?!" Silvano exclaimed, coming around to Daunte's right side. "So that's where you've been! Kaylani's been looking all over for you!"

Archana smiled at him. "I know. I just wanted to avoid all the activity in the throne room."

Daunte noticed that she looked much better since her ordeal in Nagarea. Her forehead was no longer scorched, and her silver hair actually looked stylized with black ribbons and not disheveled. It was striking just how beautiful she was, but Daunte felt the natural emotional barrier around Archana, and he saw the lingering sadness in her eyes. Her official seven-year mourning period may have been drawing to a close, but it was still very clear to Daunte that the loss of her husband still had an impact on her.

"Well, you probably know," Surya said. "We've sworn our allegiance to Lord Daunte. Furthermore, our Aunt has given me, Silvano, and Israfil permission to join the Liberation Army."

Archana nodded. "I knew as much. After everything Lord Daunte has done for us, we could do no better than to give him our cooperation."

Daunte nodded. He wanted to ask her how she was doing, but then she stepped forwards towards him. Before he could react, the older princess suddenly enveloped him in a hug. He didn't know how to react, and he looked at the others awkwardly. Surya, however, didn't look surprised or embarrassed by Archana's public display of affection for a foreign dignitary.

"Thank you for saving my life."

Daunte looked at her. "Huh?"

Archana leaned back to look at him. "You saved my life, and I've never properly thanked you, or conveyed to you how grateful I am to you. I know that simple words don't mean much, but I am thankful to you."

"I-It's okay," Daunte said. He gently shrugged her hug away. "I didn't save you expecting anything in return. I did it because it was the right thing to do."

"You're a good man, Daunte," Archana told him. "I was very shocked when I heard that the Liberation Army elected you as leader. I'd thought that a teenage boy such as yourself shouldn't have such a monumental burden. But I believe that you will be victorious. And I believe you will utilize our soldiers and the people I care about efficiently. I know I won't have to worry about their safety under your command."

"T…Thank you," Daunte said sincerely.

Archana drew back away from him. She then looked to Daunte's left, and moved to stand directly in front of Israfil. "General Israfil."

"M-My Lady," Israfil sputtered, and immediately saluted.

"I also haven't thanked you for saving my life."

Israfil blinked, and he looked stunned. "I…I really didn't do anything my Lady. Lord Daunte was the one who saved you."

"My memories of that day are still murky, but I remember that you stood at my side," Archana said. "And I remember feeling you trying to pull that awful Rune off my head. You tried to save me, not caring for your own safety, and I'm truly thankful to you for that." She curtsied before him. "I am in your debt."

"My Lady, you owe me nothing," Israfil insisted, raising his hands as he stepped towards her. "You're alive. That's all that matters to me." He choked, and Daunte saw the embarrassment flood his face as he realized what he'd just said.

"I'm still thankful to you," Archana said, seeming not to notice what he'd said. She straightened. "I will pray that you are victorious and that you return home safety."

"Thank you, my Lady. I will do everything in my power to keep alive and return home to Falena." Daunte could almost hear the silent finish to that sentence. "Return to Falena…and you."

"If you'll all excuse me, I'm going to go check on my sister and my nephew," Archana said, smiling at them. "I hope to see you all again before you leave."

"We're not leaving right this minute Archana," Surya said.

Archana grinned a little more cheekily and reached out to pinch his cheek. "I know, cousin."

Surya however didn't get irritated with the gesture. Daunte saw the flicker of hope in his expression as she walked past them and into the Sun Palace. Daunte knew that Surya was hoping that Archana would revert back to the eccentric girl Daunte had seen in his vision. But for the time being, she was still stoic…and still in mourning.

"I just want to say," Surya said suddenly, turning to address Arin. "What a relief it is to see you on your feet Arin. I'm glad you've made a full recovery."

"It's all because of my brother!" Arin said happily, gripping Daunte's hand.

"Arin, the Queen isn't here so you don't need to do any grandstanding," Felicity teased him.

"I'm not grandstanding!" Arin said indignantly. "I really mean it!"

The group burst into laughter, and even Daunte joined in. The tight knot of worry he'd been feeling was slowly unwinding, and he was starting to feel more and more optimistic. I've secured the safety of the children of the Dark Chasm, and I have an alliance with Falena. Things are really starting to turn around. I'm really starting to think that we can win this war.