107

"You told someone else to plan our wedding?" Dani demanded, and Colby shifted at her tone.

"Um…I didn't tell him to. He offered. Is that not okay?" he asked, studying his fiancé. Up until this point, Dani had been excited every time the wedding had been brought up. Colby had come over with take out, expecting Dani to be relieved to hear about Julien's offer and that they didn't have to sweat all the details. Instead, she seemed more tense than ever.

"Well…what if we don't like what he plans?" Dani asked, and Colby frowned when he saw her fidgeting.

"I can tell him that we want to do it ourselves, if you want," he offered. "I was under the impression that you didn't really care what the event was like. Didn't you say as long as we could get married, you didn't really care about the details?" Dani didn't really answer, and Colby chewed his lip. "Are there things you want, that you're afraid he wouldn't do? We can plan it ourselves—that's fine."

"I don't really care about most of the wedding details, Walker. I'm just…it's just that feeling that if someone else plans it, then it wouldn't be our wedding, you know?" She glanced over at him. "I mean, it starts with letting someone help pick out a color pallet but then by the end of it they're telling you what to wear and how long the whole thing will be and who's allowed to come—"

"Julien isn't going to do any of that," Colby promised. "He's just going to make sure that the venue is set up in time and he's going to round up the decorations and a cake."

"People say that, but then the next thing you know…"

"I really think that we can trust him not to get carried away," Colby tried. "It's not like I told my sisters they could plan it."

Dani finally smiled a little, though it faded quickly. "I know," she sighed.

"If you want to plan out all the decorations and food and everything, then we can. Um…". Colby pulled out his phone, trying to scroll through the next few weeks. "I could take a few days off next week, and we could go order a cake and go to a florist."

Dani sagged. "No, Walker…it's fine. You don't have to take work off."

"I don't want to make you do it yourself," he prompted. "I know you're busy with school, and midterms are coming up—"

"It's not that I have to do it myself…I just hate letting other people tell me what I should like!" Dani blurted, cutting him off as she sagged down into the couch and avoided his eye. "I don't really care about what the cake looks like or how the wedding is decorated…but if someone else plans it all, then what if their vision doesn't match the few things I do care about? And then everyone will just sit there and look around and wish that I had been more conventional and let someone plan everything so that it could at least all be the same."

Colby was quiet as he studied his girlfriend, who continued to avoid his eye. "Is this about the clothes?" he said at last. "The dress and suit you're planning?" Dani didn't answer, but when her eyes filled with tears, Colby grabbed her hand. "Dani… whatever you are planning is going to be spectacular, and the wedding is going to be great. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with outsourcing a few things because I really do think it will come together in the end…and if I'm being honest, I don't think we gave ourselves enough time to really pull it off on our own."

Dani made a face, but then she moved to lay her head on his shoulder. "You're right," she admitted grudgingly.

"What if I tell Julien to run everything by you first?" Colby prompted. "Then you can still have final say."

She tugged at a stray lock of hair. "Doesn't that kind of make me a bridezilla?"

Colby laughed. "No…it just makes it so that things turn out the way you want."

"But he's going to be annoyed if he's making decisions and sending me things and I keep telling him no…so I'll just never say no and then it defeats the whole purpose."

"I think it's just all part of the process," Colby assured. "But if you don't want to shoot his ideas down, you could look up some stuff that you think would match your vision and then send him pictures, and he could just make sure whatever he plans is in the same realm of style."

Dani frowned in thought. "It wouldn't bother him, if I did that?"

"I think it would help," Colby pointed out. "Give some direction." His fiancé didn't reply, and he scratched his head. "But if you would rather just do it ourselves…"

"I'll send him some pictures," Dani agreed at last sitting up so she could face him. "But, Colby…who's paying for everything?"

"I told him just to keep track of the cost and send me the bill," the Master of Water offered lightly.

"But what if he spends a ton of money…"

"He's aware of the situation, I promise," Colby said, studying her closely. There was a niggle of worry tugging at him now as another thought hit home. "Are you still feeling okay about the wedding? If…if this all feels like it's moving too fast—"

"No, Walker. That's not it," Dani cut in, rubbing her face. "I don't have any doubts about us getting married."

"So just the event itself is stressing you out?"

"I'm not stressed!" she insisted. He gave her a disbelieving look, and she finally sagged. "I just want it to be something we can look back on and be happy about how it all happened, you know? I don't want there to be drama over something as stupid as aesthetics when it's our special day."

Colby was quiet for a little while, and he finally sighed. "Are you worried about your family, or mine?"

Dani winced. "I don't know. Both? Maybe just our sisters? Though I have no idea what kinds of things my parents will do or say. I told them to be on their best behavior but…" she trailed off.

"I pretty much threatened Mia and May on pain of death that they can't ruin our day. They've gotten a little better over the last year, since everything went down. I don't think they'll say anything."

"June came by yesterday," Dani blurted at last, and Colby blinked in surprise. His fiance's lip quivered as she continued. "She hated my dress."

"You showed her your dress?" he asked.

"Not on purpose! She found it," Dani explained miserably.

Colby smiled sadly, finally realizing where Dani's anxiety was stemming from. He pulled her in, and Dani sagged into him and laid her head on his chest. "Look, I might not be allowed to see your dress yet, but I already know it's incredible. June's only going to be happy if you're drowning in satin and pearls that cost a million dollars."

"It's true," Dani said, her voice small.

"What did she say about your dress?"

"She said it wasn't appropriate for my wedding," Dani muttered.

"Well, maybe she's not appropriate for our wedding," Colby countered.

"I did tell her that if she wasn't going to appreciate my style then she could just not come."

"Sounds like you laid it out for her; if she wants to take part, she has to be civil."

"But she's not going to change, Walker. She's going to sit there the whole ceremony with that disgusted look on her face…"

"We can just hire a bouncer," Colby offered. "Maybe Amber would do it."

"You want to hire Amber as a bouncer?" Dani asked dubiously as she sniffed into his sweatshirt.

"Sure. She'll just read everyone's emotions and anyone who isn't happy for us gets immediately transported off the premises."

Dani actually snorted at that, which made Colby feel a little better. "You know, I never realized how good she would be at that job," Dani mused. "She would make killer security—and if anyone ever messed with her, she could more than take them."

They both laughed, and Colby rubbed her neck as he embraced her. "But you know, I don't really think we'll need a bouncer," he pointed out. "June can bring her most disgusted looks and I won't even notice."

"I don't know, Walker. She can give a mean stink eye when she wants to."

"Mmm…it' won't matter—I probably won't even notice her at all," he assured. "I'm going to be much too busy staring at you the whole time."

"Walker…" Dani replied, her voice breaking as she became emotional again. He winced.

"Too cheesy?"

"No…just the perfect amount of cheesy," she assured tearily, wrapping her arms around his neck. They kissed, and Colby hoped that Dani felt better about the whole thing. She was so confident and sure of herself all the time that it threw him off whenever he saw her like this.

After a minute, Colby pulled back just a little. "You're still going to wear your dress, right? You didn't let June talk you out of it?"

"I'm still wearing it," Dani agreed, a spark of her confidence coming back into her eye.

"Good."

"Think you can bring me a white shirt and a white tie in your size in the next few days?"

Colby blinked. "Uh, yeah, probably."

"Good…because I think I finally know what I'm going to have you wear."


"Where have you two been?" Theo asked as he caught Amber and M in the hallway. "Grandpa's been looking for you. He thought you were planning on leaving today—something about only getting a hotel for three days?"

"Oh, shoot, all our luggage," M said, glancing over at Amber. "What time do you think it is in Ninjago right now?"

"Why do you need a hotel if you've been staying here?" Theo asked, and Amber sighed.

"It's complicated."

Theo frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I hope you had fun, wherever you went. I could smell the hoofer on you all the way up the hall."

"You're one to talk, Tay. You always smell like hoofer."

Theo raised an eyebrow, still blocking their path. "You're really not going to tell me?"

"We went out for one last ride, and time slipped away from us, okay?" Amber said. "Can you finish the interrogation? I better go talk with Mom and Dad if we're leaving today."

"Don't worry, I already talked to them. I let them know the two of you slipped away on a romantic outing and would probably be gone most of the day." Amber slugged him as she passed, and he shook his head in mock hurt. "What?"

"Are you feeling any better? You sure were mopey last night," she replied.

"I'm fine. I'm just on my way to get lunch. Do you want me to save you guys a seat? Unless you already got something to eat on your clandestine date…"

"For ancient's sake, Theo…it wasn't a date," Amber argued as she and M moved past.

Theo made eye contact with M and raised a conspiratorial eyebrow. "It was a date, wasn't it?" he whispered loudly, and M fidgeted.

"I better go find Lou, if he was looking for us," he offered awkwardly before hurrying to catch up with Amber.

"Don't leave before coming to say goodbye!" Theo called.

"We won't!" Amber insisted.

Theo watched them turn the corner, shaking his head. "Those kids were definitely up to something they weren't supposed to be doing," he tsked to himself before continuing on his way to the dining hall. He found an empty table and ordered something to eat, thoughts about Amber and M fading as he once again found himself trying to puzzle through everything that had happened the last few days. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts as he picked at his food that he didn't realize someone had approached him.

"This seat taken?"

Theo glanced up, and for a moment he wasn't sure if he was imagining her or not. Rook smirked at his expression, plopping down into the seat in question.

"You took too long to answer," she pointed out, and he finally smiled.

"You're here," he pointed out.

"Is your fever still around? You seem a little groggy," she teased. "Are you really surprised I showed up? I said I would."

"I just wasn't sure what to expect. You seemed…pretty busy the last few days." He hesitated, but then he reached out to take her hand and smiled. "Are things okay?"

She sighed. "Well, the south is still standing, and we haven't had any threats, even if we haven't actually caught the heads of the operation."

"They're probably long gone by now, if they were smart," Theo mused.

Rook shrugged. "Basically the conclusion I'm having to embrace," she agreed.

"So, who did you leave in charge while we're both here? Mahlyn?"

"Technically Dynmar, but just know that he doesn't come cheap. When it comes to having to take on extra responsibilities, he charges by the hour." Rook tilted her head. "So I hope my visit is worth it."

Theo laughed. "Really, I'm just relieved you're here."

"Are you going to finish that?" she asked, gesturing to his picked-over meal. "Because I'm starving."

Theo smirked, pushing the tray over to her. For a few minutes, he just watched as she devoured his leftovers with gusto. "Should I order you another tray?"

"That should hold me until dinner," Rook said, pushing the empty dishes away from herself. "So…what have you been up to here? Resting?"

"For the first few days, I tried to. Now I just feel like a caged sniffer. I've got to get back to doing something productive or I'm going to lose my mind."

She snorted. "I've been there before."

Theo studied her, and while he was still relieved that she had come to visit him, something still felt off. Maybe it was the fact that it felt like she was avoiding his eye, or the way she scanned the dining hall anytime she thought he wasn't looking.

"Do you want to go somewhere else to talk?" he asked.

"What's wrong with here?" Rook asked innocently.

"You just seem a little uncomfortable," Theo pointed out. "Are you afraid my parents are going to walk in on us?"

"I'm just sore from the hoofer ride, is all," she assured, but he didn't really believe her.

"Come on. I know a few places around where we can get some privacy," he offered. She smiled mischievously.

"Is there a reason we need privacy?"

Theo rolled his eyes and motioned for her to follow. He also wondered what would happen if they crossed paths with either of the Rulers, but he decided he didn't care. However, they made it to the fortress gardens without running into anyone.

There weren't any gardeners working at this time in the afternoon; they tended to water the crops in the morning and evenings when the sun couldn't evaporate it before it could do much good. Seeing that they had the area to themselves, Theo turned to where Rook was studying the crops waving in the wind.

After a moment, she realized he was staring at her, and she frowned at him. "What?"

"I'm trying to figure out how to breach this conversation," he admitted. Rook just stared, and he watched as the blood drained out of her face.

"What conversation?" she demanded. "I thought you wanted me to come visit you so we could spend time together, not—"

"I do want to spend time with you," he assured. "There's just something we have to talk about first."

She looked less than enthusiastic as she glanced away from him to study the wilting fronds of a nearby tuber shoot. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly.

Theo really wasn't sure how to start, so he sighed. "I was really out of it, the week I was sick…but now that I've been filled in a little more about what's going on…it sounds like there are people who blame you for the whole thing."

She stiffened, her expression crumpling with hurt. "And you believe them?" she accused.

Theo blinked. "No!" he insisted. "Of course I don't. Rook—"

"I know I wasn't around much while you were sick, but I was trying to figure out what was wrong—"

"Hey," he cut in, stepping toward her. "I'm not accusing you of anything. I wanted to apologize that people were blaming you for something you didn't do."

Rook looked like she was trying to pull off a confident look, or even an unbothered one, but then her eyes filled with tears and ruined the effect. "I don't care what anyone thinks," she muttered.

"What happened when my parents showed up? Did they act like you were to blame?"

"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "All that matters is that I figured out what you had been poisoned with, and Ylba knew how to treat it…and that you got better."

Theo furrowed his brow. "You found the poison?"

"Did they leave that part out?" Rook asked, glancing over at him. "Not that I'm surprised."

Theo heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry," he offered. "I'm sorry that you had to take over, and that people treated you like that, and that I didn't do anything to help."

"You were poisoned, Theo. What could you have done?"

"I would have done something, if I had known what was going on. My parents don't have the right to come in and start assigning blame and ostracizing you."

Rook scoffed softly. "You act like it's shocking they did…but face it, Theo. They're not ever going to stop." Her eyes flashed. "Why would they? They're the Rulers of the entire Realm, for Ancient's sakes, and I'm the trashy criminal who targeted their son."

"Rook—"

"It's going to keep being like this forever." Rook's tone became grim as she finally met his eye again. "They're always going to hate me, and they're going to keep trying to split us up until you finally give in."

Theo stared at her, the wind pulling loose strands of hair from her braid as Rook hugged herself in resignment. "Are you trying to end things?" he finally asked, the small fear inside becoming bigger. "Is this you saying you don't want to deal with all of this anymore?"

The tears Rook was obviously fighting back spilled over, and Theo felt his heart sink to his feet as he watched her cry. "It's not about what I want!" she snapped, rubbing the tears off her cheeks as quickly as they fell. "You're going to get sick of having to go between. It's been a year, and nothing has changed in how they feel about me…and it's all just going to get worse the closer you get to taking over the realm. How long before you resent me for—"

"I'm not worried about what my parents think," Theo cut in, moving closer to grab her shoulders. "I'm not worried about how things will change once I become Ruler. I already made my decision."

"You should be worried!" Rook snapped. "It's your whole future, and you're pretending like everything is just going to work out—"

"And what if it does?" he cut in. "Why is it hard to believe that things can work out? Why is everyone acting like it's all just one choice or another?"

"Because you can't have both," Rook threw back.

"So you won't stay with me, if I choose to become the Ruler?" he asked, not sure whether he was angry or hurt or both. "You said before you didn't see yourself in my future… is this what you meant? You're waiting for me to give it up for you? Because it's too much pressure?"

"You're not getting it!" Rook shouted, pulling from his grip.

"Because you aren't making any sense!" Theo replied angrily. "Are you trying to break up with me, or not? Because lately it feels like you're just getting more and more distant, trying to free yourself from all of this."

"I'm not the one who's going to give up on us! I'll stick around as long as you let me, but there's going to come a day when you realize I'm just holding you back, and you're going to throw me to the sniffers!"

"Is that really the kind of person you think I am?" Theo shouted back.

"I'm just being realistic," Rook insisted.

"And realistically, I'm going to dump you the second I become Ruler? Is that really what you think?" he demanded.

Rook shrugged miserably. "You're not going to have a choice."

"Did my parents say something to you?" he demanded. "Did they threaten you? Is that where this is coming from, or is this coming from your own fears lying to you—"

"I was only in charge for a week, Theo—just enough to try to track down who was targeting you—and everyone hated me," Rook said, her voice breaking. "That's not going to go away once you're the Ruler, rather than a leader. It's just going to get worse."

Theo sagged, and he could feel himself getting emotional now. He cleared his throat, which had become tight. "I…I don't know how people are going to react to you once I'm the Ruler," he admitted. "But I am not going to let myself be swayed by anything anyone else says. I already know how I feel about you, Rook. I already made up my mind."

She rubbed her face. "You say that now—"

"Am I doing something that makes it so you don't believe me?" he demanded. "I can't promise that everyone is going to be happy about us being together, but—"

"I don't care what anyone else thinks," Rook countered. "I can survive everyone's petty comments or looks or death glares or whatever…but it's going to get to you, Theo. Sooner or later, it will."

"It bothers me now, because people shouldn't get to decide who I have a relationship with. But that doesn't mean I'm going to turn on you because of their poor opinions. It's not your fault."

"It is my fault, though! They only hate me because they know I hurt you! And I did do that, even if I wish I hadn't…"

"And if they aren't willing to get to know who you are now—someone you weren't free to be before—then they can feed their opinions to a dragon," Theo insisted. "Rook…tell me the truth. Are you wishing that you could leave, and you're just afraid of how I'll react? Because I'm not ending it—not even close…but it feels like you want to."

"No," Rook countered, her voice breaking again as she finally reached out to touch him. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me…and I'm not giving you up. It just feels like there will come a day when it won't be my choice whether or not we stay together."

"There won't," Theo insisted. "In all the time you've known me, have I ever been the type of person to let someone else make my decisions for me?"

Rook smirked a little there. "No."

"You've done more than anyone is giving you credit for," Theo pointed out as he wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. "A year ago, you're the reason we managed to take down Zerek. You've done countless things in the south to help me stay afloat…and if you're the one who figured out what the poison was, then you're the only reason I recovered this last week." He scanned her face. "How can I convince you that I don't see us as temporary…something that's just waiting until some future breaking point?"

Rook sighed, her body shuddering as she seemed to stop crying. "I don't know," she said at last, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head on his chest. "I guess it's just something I have to work through. I'm not used to expecting things to turn out well in the long run."

Theo rested his chin on her head. "I mean…no one really knows how everything will turn out in their lives…but I'd like to at least plan on us facing whatever comes together. Can you at least trust me on that?"

"I'll…try."

He sighed. "Well, I guess that's a start," he murmured. "So you weren't staying in the south because you were trying to avoid me?"

"I just didn't want to come and have you tell me that your parents convinced you to kick me out of you life altogether," Rook admitted as she pulled away to look up at him.

"You don't ever have to worry about that," Theo assured.

"If you say so," Rook muttered, wiping the final traces of tears off her cheeks. "You know, I was never this emotional before I met you."

"I'm sorry," he offered with a small smile.

"I was really hoping you brought us out here in the middle of this garden because we were going to get into trouble, not because you were going to make me have an adult conversation," Rook pointed out, her sarcasm slowly building back up as she studied him. "You realize we haven't kissed since over a week ago?"

"I mean…that is one of the reasons I wanted to find a private place," Theo agreed with a smile. She finally smiled back.

"Good. We wait any longer, and we're going to get out of practice."

"I think we can definitely spend time practicing," he teased, moving her windswept hair out of her face. "But there is one more thing we have to talk about."

Her smile faded. "What?"

"How do you feel about going to a wedding?"

108

Amber watched as her father embraced his father, and Lou smiled.

"I'm glad that things are back under control again," he offered. "Theo seems to be doing much better."

"Yeah, Syn says he's probably well enough to go back to the South soon," Keyda admitted, but Amber could feel all too well how her mother felt about it.

"It will be good for him," Lou mused. "He's been pacing the fortress like a caged tiger these days."

"I haven't actually seen much of him today," Cole pointed out.

"We saw him in the hall a little while ago," Amber offered. "He said that he was going to come say goodbye, so he's around somewhere."

"What are you going to be up to now that your tour is over?" her father asked. Amber shrugged.

"Um…I don't know. Relax? Papa Lou said I can stay with him until school starts in the fall…and then I guess I'll move to campus."

"You're going to school?" her father asked, sounding surprised.

"Well…yeah. I mean I graduated from Marty Openheimer's and it seems like the next step."

"What are you going into? Dance?"

Amber pushed her hair out of her face. "Yeah, maybe. I'm working on the details, but I'll have a gameplan by the fall."

She could see her parents frowning, and she realized that she hadn't really talked about what her post-tour plans were going to be with them before. Were they hoping she would move back to the Oni realm afterward? A sudden jolt of fear coursed through her, but then her grandfather spoke up.

"I hate to be a bother, but if we are heading out soon, I should probably visit the restroom now. If someone could show me the way, I'm afraid I still get mixed up in this fortress. All the hallways look the same."

"I should probably go as well," M offered. "I'll go with you; I'm pretty sure I know where it is."

"Are you sure?" Amber asked, and her boyfriend flashed her a smile.

"If we aren't back in thirty minutes, send a search party."

She watched them go, knowing that if she insisted on going with them, her parents would realize that it was because she wanted to avoid any more hard questions about her future.

"So, you're planning on moving in with Lou?" Keyda asked, and Amber turned back around.

"Yes, he already said it was fine."

"What will you do while you're waiting for school?" her father asked carefully. "You know…you're always welcome here, and if you've got a big break…"

"I'll come visit more," she promised. "But…at this point, a lot of my life is in Ninjago, you know? Like my hobbies and my friends…and my boyfriend."

Keyda's expression clouded as she glanced up at the door that M and Lou had left. "You aren't planning on moving in with him, are you?"

Amber immediately flushed. "Geez, Mom…we're only dating. We're not anywhere close to a step like that."

"I was just making sure!" Keyda insisted. "Relationships can be tricky things."

Amber frowned, about to launch into a lengthy speech on M's behalf. However, a thought came to mind, and she blurted it before she could talk herself out of it. "Did you guys really have Rook locked up in the dungeon when Theo got sick?"

Her parents both stared at her, and the strange thing was that she only picked up on confusion from her mother. Cole, on the other hand, definitely had a whip of guilt.

"I wanted to," Keyda admitted. "But—"

"There was a misunderstanding," Cole offered awkwardly, and Keyda glanced over at him. He sighed. "It was sorted out."

"You locked her in the dungeon?" Keyda asked in surprise, and Cole rubbed his face.

"The guards misunderstood me. They were only supposed to keep her in her room until we figured out if the accusations against her had any proof."

"Does Theo know you locked his girlfriend in the dungeon while he was sick?" Amber demanded.

"Not that I know of," Cole admitted, glancing up at her. "Which…is why I'm confused that you even know about it."

Amber felt her heart pounding, and she finally scoffed. "It doesn't matter. I only bring it up because if you guys keep doing stuff like that, you're going to drive Theo further away."

"The only thing driving him away is his relationship with her," Keyda muttered. Amber shot her mother a withering glance, and the Ruler scowled. "You didn't see the way she manipulated him into leaving her in charge. It's so clear to everyone that she's just using him, preying on what he wants to happen and the life he wishes he had."

"I guess I can't blame you for feeling like that…but I think you're wrong," Amber admitted. Her mother blinked, and the Xinta sighed. "I can feel how she feels, you know. She really does care about him, Mom."

"She's an assassin! Controlling her emotions is probably something she's been able to do for ages—"

"Not to the extent that she could fool me," Amber insisted. "Look…if you guys keep on acting like this is some kind of contest where the winner gets Theo, then you're taking a chance that you're going to lose the competition you're creating."

"Not you too, Amber," her mother said, and Amber shook her head.

"I'm not saying that she doesn't have a bad past, or even that you should completely trust her. But…after coming here to visit, I think maybe we should all be focusing more on why Theo does like her, rather than the reasons we think he shouldn't. I think it would go a lot further."

Keyda huffed, and Cole sighed. "Ams…you know what she did…"

"Yeah, I know. But would you guys want someone to judge you for how you lived your life when you were younger? Do you feel like your past defines you that completely, and you never changed? Because even just based on the stories you told us…I know you did. Maybe just be more open to the fact that other people are allowed to change, too." She paused for a moment. "Even me and Theo."

The Ruler's expression crumpled further, and Cole glanced between his wife and daughter before sighing. "I guess we can try."


Haiven wiped at her eyes as the tears came unbidden again, marring her ability to see the stitches she was forming. It was the last project she had to finish, and she only had until the afternoon before she had to bring everything to her stall, as promised. On a good day, she would have finished this vest hours ago, but she hadn't been able to focus much at all the last few days. She went from periods of grief and guilt to periods of defensiveness and anger, and the most frustrating thing was she had no idea how to get closure. Did she try to talk to Theo again? Where was he? The south, or his parent's fortress? Would he even agree to talk with her?

I wish I had never agreed to go to the south, she thought miserably. I didn't even help at all…I only made more problems and made it so Theo will never see me the same.

She hiccupped silently, forcing herself to focus on the birds she was stitching. However, she found it hard to even take pride in her work. Each additional bird felt like a battle she didn't have the willpower to fight anymore, and she was beginning to wonder if she really wanted to spend the rest of her life taking orders all day and stitching patterns all night.

"Haiven?" a voice called at her doorway, and she stiffened.

Go away, Alan, she thought angrily. I have to finish this…I don't have time to talk right now.

Of course, because she couldn't say any of it out loud, the young man didn't leave. By the third time he called, Haiven sighed and tossed the nearly-complete vest onto a cushion. She marched to the doorway, throwing it open to glower at him.

Alan blinked at her furious expression. He was holding a bowl of stew in his hands, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. "I…hadn't seen you for a few days," he pointed out carefully. "Um…I just wanted to make sure you're still eating."

I'm fine. Haiven insisted, though her stomach growled at the sight of the food and ousted her. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but if Alan had heard, he didn't mention it. He held out the bowl of stew, and Haiven reluctantly accepted it. She expected him to leave now, like he usually did, but instead he lingered.

"Look…I know it's none of my business…"

Exactly, Haiven thought, though she couldn't sign as much with a bowl of stew in her hands.

"Ever since you went to the south, you've obviously been struggling with something. Do you…want to talk about it?"

Haiven scowled, shaking her head. Alan deflated a little, but he still didn't retreat the way he always did.

"Sometimes it feels safer to just bottle everything up… I know. But maybe you would feel better if you opened up." He rubbed his neck. "Pescar mentioned that you were upset the other day, but then you wouldn't talk to him about it, either…"

Haiven's face was blazing at this point, humiliation mixing with all the other emotions inside. Pescar had told Alan what had happened? No wonder Alan was here—he had witnessed her breaking down already, and now Pescar had told him about finding her sobbing in the middle of the marketplace. She bristled; he obviously thought her weak—why else would he bring her food, unless he didn't think she could feed herself? Why else would he offer to teach her to fight, unless he thought she was incapable of defending herself? It seemed that Alan had become yet another person in her life who thought that she was fragile and helpless and frail.

Alan seemed to realize how angry she was becoming, and he tugged at the scarf around his head. "I mean, you don't have to talk about it…but maybe you should. Otherwise—"

Go away! Haiven gestured around the bowl of stew, and Alan trailed off. He seemed on the brink of leaving, but then he clenched his fists.

"Pushing people away isn't going to help. Trust me. I…I know I'm not Theo, but you can talk to me, Haiven."

At the mention of Theo, Haiven's stomach curdled. The conversation she had shared with the Oni prince a few days earlier came to mind, and she felt a horrible dread settle over her. Had Theo told Alan about the conversation? Is that why he was here…Theo had asked him to check on her? Did he know how much she was hurting then, but didn't even have the decency to come check on her himself? And Alan was just here out of obligation…which explained why he was sticking around so long. No doubt he would have bailed right after giving her the stew if he hadn't been ordered to do more. The humiliation reached a head, and as Haiven's eyes filled with tears, she threw the bowl of stew as hard as she could.

Alan hadn't been expecting it, and considering he was only a few feet away, he didn't manage to dodge the attack. Stew exploded everywhere as the loaf bowl hit his shoulder, drenching his neck and chest in the savory substance. He seemed shocked as he looked down at himself, stew dripping off his chin and into the dirt. Haiven was frozen, regret coming too late as she stared at the stew-soaked man in front of her.

Alan's expression pinched, and she was surprised to see that he looked hurt rather than angry. He wiped the stew off his face without looking back at her. "Message received," he offered dully, and he turned and left at last. Haiven watched him go, and part of her wanted to rail on him further while most of her felt like she should apologize. Instead, she stayed rooted to the doorway of her tent as he got farther away, probably heading to his own tent so he could change his clothes.

Haiven retreated back into her tent, the tears coming back again. All at once, she realized she didn't even want to be here anymore. She grabbed the tunic and began stitching it with a vengeance, not even trying to be overly careful about making the stitches perfect. She was going to deliver all of these projects to the clients today, and then she was getting out of the East completely.


Rook watched as Theo looked around the hallways, as if taking everything in. She couldn't help but laugh at him. "Do you not remember what the southern fortress looks like? You were only gone a week."

He glanced over at her and smirked. "I just missed being here, all right?"

She threaded an arm through his. "Well…I think the south missed you too."

"Dynmar seemed grateful that I was back," Theo pointed out. "Mahlyn seemed a little…reserved. But I'm feeling a little better after that meeting with everyone—I was worried it would be hard to jump back into everything."

"You weren't gone that long," Rook pointed out. "So…are you planning on addressing the south about this whole incident?"

"I don't know. I may just announce that Ern and Laysha are under arrest and that any information on either of them will be rewarded handsomely."

"It may just lead them to kill anyone and everyone who could possibly oust them," Rook mused.

"If they're even around in the south anymore," Theo sighed.

"We'll figure it out," Rook assured. "But for now, we've got some other catching up to do."

"Oh? What now? Taxes? Recruit Training?"

"No, and no. Oh, did you know that the top rung of recruits is officially a part of the guard force now?"

Theo blinked. "All of them?"

"Anyone over the age limit," Rook assured. "There are five disgruntled teens still in training. I promised them I would ask you about whether they could join the force once you were feeling better. In the meantime, they're just an elite little training force themselves."

Theo sighed. "I really don't want any teens in the line of fire."

"I figured as much. I just said I'd ask. But no, Handsome…that's not what we have to catch up on."

"Then what?" he asked as Rook pulled him along.

"I think we're long overdue for some personal time, don't you?" she asked, and he smiled.

"I suppose I can make some room in my schedule for that."

"Good, because we were supposed to spend time together two weeks ago, and then you had the audacity to get poisoned instead."

"Rook…" he laughed.

"I know it wasn't your fault," she assured. "But still…all the more reason we need to make time now. Ancients, it's going to be nice to being able to be together without looking over our shoulders every five minutes for your parents."

"It wasn't that bad," Theo argued.

"Did you not see your mother's face when they came to the dining hall for dinner and I was sitting there with you? I thought I was seconds from the dungeon."

"They wouldn't throw you in the dungeon," he scoffed. "Look…they don't know what to think of you, but they wouldn't go to that extreme."

Rook went quiet, her mind once again fighting with itself about whether to admit to Theo exactly what had happened when he had been sick. She finally pushed the thought away; it wouldn't solve anything now. "Close your eyes," she offered as they reached the end of a hallway. Theo stared at the wall in front of them with a frown.

"Close my eyes? Why?"

"Just do it," she urged, and he rolled his eyes before finally closing them. Rook smiled before moving forward to pull the large painting off the wall. It depicted some long-past southern leader riding on a massive sniffer, and as she removed it from its place, an opening appeared. She stepped through, replacing the painting as she went, and she could see Theo frowning as he continued to keep his eyes closed.

"What's with all the scrabbling?" he asked, and she smirked as the painting was back in place.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now," she called, and he did so. In the dark, hidden space behind the painting, pricks of light made it easy to find where the hidden peep holes in the stone walls were, and she stifled a laugh as she watched Theodynn look around in confusion.

"Rook?" he asked, a smile spreading across his face. "What are you up to?"

"You mean you can't see me?" she called, and his expression clouded further as her voice floated into the hall. It didn't take him long to pinpoint the direction her voice was coming from, and she smiled at him as he removed the painting and exposed her hiding place.

"What on earth?" he asked, and Rook motioned for him to join her inside. He tentatively climbed into the space, lighting one hand with aura to illuminate it. "When did you find this?"

"Technically, I didn't," Rook admitted. "When you were sick, I had guards checking everything, trying to figure out how people were getting into the fortress. Technically you were being poisoned by inside men, but Fazir had made it to the training ground and I wanted to know how. One of the new guards found this when they started pulling decorations off the walls.

"There's a tunnel," Theo realized, moving past Rook to look down the dark expanse.

"I haven't explored extensively, but I have enough to have found a few more entry points. I think there's an entire labyrinth in this fortress that's who knows how long."

"Do think Ottan even knew about it?" Theo wondered.

"I would assume so," Rook admitted. "Because if they hadn't been used or discovered for decades, there would be a lot more dust back here…spider webs and things."

"It's not exactly clean," Theo pointed out, stifling a sneeze.

"But it's not as dirty as it should be if no ones been using them for years. Maybe Ottan used them to get from place to place more clandestinely, or maybe spies used them to get around. I don't know. What I do know is that I'll bet Saesh made use of them whenever he was spying on us."

"He transports in and out; why would he need to use these tunnels?"

"Transporting doesn't help him stay out of sight when he's eavesdropping, Theo. Mainly, I'm just sick thinking about how many other people could have been using these."

"So, we board them up? Post guards?"

"We need to do something," Rook agreed. "But first, I wanted to show you something." She grabbed his hand again, and he followed her down the narrow passageway until they came to a set of derelict-looking stairs. She went to climb them, but Theo pulled her back.

"Those'll collapse under you," he warned. She smiled in return.

"I've already been up and back; they look worse than they are," she promised, and Theo frowned as he tentatively followed her.

"I'm surprised these tunnels don't bother you more, considering how claustrophobic you get," he pointed out.

"Oh, I hate it back here," Rook assured, lighting her own hand so she could see the steps she was climbing. "But the view is worth it."

They reached the top of the staircase, and Rook released Theo's hand so she could use her shoulder to hit a false wall. It scraped open, filling the space with cool night air and moonlight. They headed out, and Rook glanced back at him.

"Watch your step," she warned. "It's a bit narrow."

Theo frowned but nodded, following her out onto the hidden section of rooftop. It was on the backside of the fortress—the door they came out opened onto a narrow pathway next to the roof's drop off.

"Follow me; there's a hidden room up ahead. I think this was some kind of guard tower, at some point, made so guards could see behind the fortress before the wall was built around it with their own guard towers."

Theo didn't say anything as he took in the view, carefully following Rook as she padded toward a bulky-looking area of the roof. At a glance, it looked like shabby architect work, but as they drew closer Rook pointed out the door. She managed to slip in easily, but Theo had a harder time fitting in the narrow opening.

"Don't get stuck," Rook laughed as Theo finally managed to twist enough to get into the room.

"Guards must have been thinner, back in the day," he joked.

"See these tiny windows?" Rook asked, gesturing to the thin rectangles that went all the way around the small, circular room. "Just wide enough to fire a crossbow out, and the angle they're at means that they were firing the weapons up. If I had to guess…this was something used back in the dragon-oni war days…a place to fire on dragons while still remaining hidden."

"I don't know; I feel like anyone in here would be a sitting duck for a dragon; they breathe fire and suddenly you're sitting in a homemade oven."

"Maybe that's why it was abandoned," Rook guessed. "But it doesn't make sense that there isn't an easier way to get to it if it was a major defensive zone. Why make it only accessible through secret passageways?"

Theo looked around the room, touching the stone all around them. "Maybe it wasn't a guard tower. Maybe it was some kind of bunker."

"Why have a bunker on the roof? If the fortress collapses, you fall down with it."

"True," Theo mused. "I guess we'll never really know what it was used for."

"Just another southern mystery," Rook agreed. "But I wanted to show it to you, regardless."

"Because you thought it was interesting…or because this really is a place we can be together where no one is gonna be able to walk in on us?"

Rook scoffed, but she couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "You really think I dragged you all the way up here just to have you to myself?"

"Well, I don't think you really did it for the view, like you said. You can't see too much out of these tiny windows."

She laughed, motioning for him to leave the small room and go back out onto the roof. "But look at what you can see from out here," she urged. He grunted as he got stuck again, but soon he was joining her on the narrow path. The area of the roof they were on was tall enough to see over the fortress wall, and Rook sank down to dangle her legs over the edge as she studied the scenery in the distance.

"I've never really seen what the south looks like behind the fortress," Theo mused as he sank down next to her. "There isn't much out that way, except salt mines."

"The mountains are different on this side," Rook agreed. "They're smaller…less imposing."

"It is beautiful, though…with all the stars as a backdrop."

Rook sighed, moving closer so she could lay her head on his shoulder. "How much longer do you think you'll get to stay down here?" she asked. He turned to her in surprise, and she avoided looking at him. "I mean…you aren't going to be the southern leader forever, and you've already made it better in the last year than it's been in a long time. How much longer before you go back to the Central Fortress for good?"

"I don't know," Theo admitted. "I guess…until my parents feel like retiring."

"So, you think you'll be leader here all the way up until you're crowned? There won't be any kind of training year, or anything?"

"Um…" Theo frowned in thought. "We haven't really talked about it. Why?"

Rook laced her fingers through his. "I just wonder how much longer we'll get to be like this."

"Rook—"

"Even if we do get to stay together, Theo…we won't be here, fighting southern battles and doing everything we've gotten to do here. I just think I'm going to miss it, no matter what comes next."

He was quiet for a few minutes as they gazed at the stars. "I'll miss it too," he offered, and Rook finally turned so she could look at him. "But I'll always have a piece of the southern fire with me, as long as we're together. Right?"

She scoffed. "You know, at this point you've developed plenty of your own southern fire. You don't need me for that."

He shook his head as he studied her with that intense look he had been doing lately. "I think you underestimate how much I need you, Rook," he murmured. She shivered as he leaned in to kiss her. After a few minutes, he released her hand so he could move his hands into her hair. As much as she missed these moments with him, Rook pulled back.

Theo opened his eyes in confusion, and she smiled softly. "Maybe we shouldn't get too passionate while sitting on the edge of a thirty-foot drop," she murmured. He blinked before turning to look at the how high up they really were.

"Good point," he admitted. "The only thing to break our fall are weeds and that old well."

"It would be a pity for us to die now after surviving everything else," Rook joked.

"I guess…but kissing is a pretty good way to go out," he pointed out thoughtfully. Rook rolled her eyes, and Theo glanced around. "So…are you saying this isn't going to be our secret rendezvous point in the future?"

"Maybe not this spot on the edge of the roof…but we could add a few homey touches to that bunker and it could be a nice romantic getaway, don't you think?"

He turned and frowned in mock seriousness as he considered the nearby bunker. "We'd have to widen the doorway, because sooner or later I'm actually going to get stuck there, and that might ruin the ambiance."

She fingered the collar of his embroidered tunic. "You know, I'd bet you'd fit a lot better with your shirt off," she offered innocently.

"Shameless," he accused, and she shrugged.

"What? Being shirtless could have lots of perks, you know. If we took a poll, I think that 8/10 southerners would agree that you look better without one. I'm just saying…maybe we should run with it. Anything to boost your popularity, right?"

"I'd almost be tempted but I don't think I want to walk around shirtless anywhere that Ylba could see me," he pointed out. Rook snorted, and he pulled her close. "But maybe just for you, on special occasions."

"Mm….we're going to need to come up with a lot of special occasions, then," she murmured. "Maybe we could just plan on celebrating every time neither of us gets attacked, or poisoned, or threatened."

"So you only want to celebrate once a week?"

"You're right, that's not often enough. Maybe every day the sun rises and the south isn't burned to the ground we can take credit for. That should give us close to enough special occasions to get me through a week."

He laughed then. "I'll think about it," he promised with a wink. "Should we go?"

"You tired of this spot already?" Rook asked, looking back to take in the stars.

"The fact that I can't safely kiss you here does put a downer on it."

"So picky," she accused with a grin, but then she was pushing herself to her feet. "All right, we can head back inside to safer grounds." She started heading for the door, but he caught her hand.

"Rook?"

She glanced back. "Yeah?"

He studied her for a moment, and the irrational panic bubbled up again. However, he just gave her hand a squeeze. "I missed you."

She squeezed it back with a stir of relief. "I missed you too."

109

Dani had spent so much time chewing her bottom lip the last few days she was surprised she had any lip left to chew. Despite the fact that she had told Colby that she had hoped the time to their wedding would go by quickly, now that it was only a day away, she felt like she couldn't contain all the excitement and anxiety that had built up over the past few weeks.

She stared at her phone, not wanting to make the phone call but knowing that it would be rude not to. After a few minutes she finally sucked in her breath and found the contact in her phone. Part of her prayed that Colby's sister just wouldn't pick up, but she had no such luck.

"Hey, Dani. Did you get my message?" May asked, jumping straight to the point as usual. Dani sighed internally, but she tried to keep her tone bright.

"Yeah, I did. Um…look, it's really sweet of you and Mia to offer to do my hair and makeup, but I've got it handled. Thanks anyway."

"Oh, are you going to go to a salon?"

Dani squirmed on the couch. "Well…I was probably just going to do it myself," she admitted. There was silence on the other end of the phone, and Dani cleared her throat. "It's nothing personal, or anything—"

"Are you sure? What if we just did a little trial run tonight at your bachelorette party…show you what we could do. Then you could decide whether or not you wanted our help."

"I…what bachelorette party?" Dani stammered.

"Uh…aren't you having a bachelorette party? Amber didn't plan anything? She's the Maid of Honor."

Dani winced, rubbing her face. "I don't think so. You realize Oni don't have bachelorette parties, right?"

"She's lived in Ninjago for like seven years—she should know about them. Keep your evening open—maybe she's wanting it to be a surprise."

"Maybe…but I think her family is here in Ninjago for the wedding and she's probably planning on spending the evening with them. Really…it's no big deal."

"Just plan on doing something tonight, okay? If nothing else, we could still do the trial run."

Dani hesitated, thinking it through. Honestly, there wasn't anything wrong with Mia and May doing her hair and makeup, except that she knew they would go over the top. She remembered how they dolled Amber up for the dance at Marty Openheimer's; she definitely didn't want to end up that fancy for her wedding. Colby wouldn't even recognize her.

"What if we just gave everyone makeovers? I'll talk to Amber and see if she's willing to fit it in to whatever she has planned. Makeovers are totally bachelorette party worthy…and if you don't like your hair and makeup, then no harm, no foul. I've just been doing research and studies show that brides are 80% more likely to have a breakdown on their wedding day if they're in charge of getting themselves ready…"

"Okay, fine…we can do makeovers. If there's even a party planned for tonight," Dani sighed. "But if Amber hasn't planned anything, don't force her to, all right? I never told her she had to be in charge of any kind of party."

"Just keep your evening open."

May hung up, and Dani sagged into the couch. Honestly, she had mixed feelings about a bachelorette party, which is why she had conveniently abstained from letting Amber know about them. It wasn't that she was against getting together with friends to blow off a little stress and steam, but this party wasn't going to be her and her closest friends. Dani could only hope that Mia and May really would back off when Amber said she hadn't planned anything…but she wasn't holding her breath.


"I need to get a bigger house," Lou joked as everyone tried to get settled. Amber smiled at her grandpa as she helped Theo move the coffee table off to one side.

"We don't mind doing sleep-over style," she assured.

"Maybe we should start booking a hotel room," Theo mused. "It would probably make things easier."

"I don't think anyone needs to be staying in a hotel," Cole offered. His tone was light, but Amber didn't miss the way he glanced over at where Rook was studying one of Lou's trophies.

"Kai and Jay would probably be willing to put people up…or even Lloyd. Ancient's knows the temple has plenty of space," Theo continued.

"Well…it is good to have everyone all together, even if it's a little cramped," Lou offered as he moved to bring over the sleeping bags that Theo and Amber would be using on the floor that night. "Let's all go out for a special meal tonight."

"Can I invite M?" Amber asked.

"Of course," Lou laughed.

"What time is the wedding tomorrow?" Keyda asked as she came out of the spare room where Amber had been staying. Amber had offered to let her parents take the bed, joking that they weren't as young as they used to be.

"It's in the evening," Theo offered. "But Kai called earlier and said they wouldn't mind having some extra hands setting things up."

"I wonder how Jay feels about his son getting married," Cole mused. "I still remember when Colby was a toddler, waddling around and painting on everything."

"I should call Dani," Amber realized. "She's probably so nervous…I know I would be."

"I'll put on a pot of tea," Lou offered. "Maybe make up some sandwiches—you're all probably hungry."

"Let me help you out, Pop," Cole offered, moving toward the kitchen with his father. Lou chuckled.

"Just promise me you'll do the tea so I can do the sandwiches."

Cole shook his head in mock hurt. "I'm not so bad a cook that I can't handle making a few sandwiches, you know."

Amber smiled, but the doorbell rang and caught everyone off guard. Theo was the closest, so he headed over to answer it. Amber assumed it was M, or even one of her uncles. Instead, the Walker twins stormed into the house with barely so much as a 'hello.'

"Um… Hey, Mia and May…" Theo tried, but they didn't even acknowledge him as they found Amber in the room. The xinta's heart sank as she studied their grim looks, and Mia huffed as she marched closer.

"You didn't plan a bachelorette party?" she demanded.

"A what?" Amber asked helplessly.

"A bachelorette party," May offered, wearing her familiar look of disapproval. "It's a very important tradition—one the Maid of Honor is supposed to take care of. Basically, the night before a wedding, the bride gets together with all her friends as a last hoo-rah before she gets married. You've really never heard of it before?"

"You shouldn't have agreed to be a Maid of Honor if you didn't even know what it entails," Mia pointed out. Amber felt a flash of hurt, struggling to know what to say. She was supposed to plan some kind of party? Dani hadn't mentioned anything about that!

"Don't worry if you haven't planned anything," May offered smoothly. "Mia and I thought that might be the case, so we—"

"How do you know she didn't plan anything?" Rook cut in, and everyone turned to her in surprise. Rook met the twin's gaze with a bored look, her arms folded.

"Because she obviously doesn't even know what we're talking about," Mia pointed out dryly.

"Well, just because she isn't calling it some silly name doesn't mean she didn't plan anything," Rook said. "We've got it covered, so no need to get involved."

Amber just stared, and she could feel her mom and brother watching the entire exchange awkwardly, like they weren't sure whether to get involved or not.

"So…what do you have planned?" May asked, her tone making it obvious she didn't believe Rook.

"Something Dani will love, don't worry."

"Why didn't you let us know? Were we just not invited?" Mia asked icily.

"Still trying to determine a location," Rook said smoothly. The fact that the once-assassin could lie so easily was both impressive and suspicious, but despite Rook's unshakeable demeanor, Amber could sense the woman's true apprehension. Should Amber call her out and admit that she really didn't plan anything…or see what on earth Rook had up her sleeve?

"We can do it at our place," May said. "If location is the only thing holding you up."

"Um…" Amber cut in, and everyone looked at her once again. She could tell that the twins were waiting for her to admit the truth, but after a moment, she just cleared her throat. "I…was thinking about doing it at Dani's apartment…if it's okay with her. I've been wanting to see it and haven't had the time yet."

The twins narrowed their eyes suspiciously, and Rook made a shooing motion with one hand.

"You heard her; she's got a plan. No need for you two to stick around any longer."

"What is it that you're planning on doing for the party?" May pressed, still studying at Amber. "We were hoping to include makeovers, but we need to know if that will work with whatever you have planned."

"Sure…we can add that," Amber insisted. "As long as it's okay with Dani."

"She said it was, as long as it was okay with you."

"Well…then I guess it's a plan," Amber said. The twins studied her for a few more moments before Mia spoke.

"I guess it is."

"What time are we meeting? Have you invited other guests?" May prompted.

"Uh…well, we've got a family thing tonight, so maybe after that?"

"Eight," Theo offered.

"Eight," Amber agreed. "At Dani's."

"Are you going to text Ashley the details, or should I?" May continued. "And you should probably invite Dani's sister, too…or we'll never hear the end of it tomorrow."

"Right. I'll tell Colby, too… and M could come, and Theo—"

"It's no boys allowed, Amber," Mia prompted, folding her arms.

"What?"

"That's what a bachelorette party is. A time for the bride to hang with her girlfriends before she's stuck with her husband for the rest of her life."

"Oh. Right." Amber shrugged. "Then I guess we'll see you guys tonight."

"I guess you will. Just don't forget to add enough time for makeovers," May reminded, and then at last, the twins left. Amber sagged the second the door closed, and Theo shook his head.

"Man, they never change."

"What on earth do you have planned?" Amber asked, turning to Rook. "Or were you just buying time?"

The oni shrugged. "Please…sounds like all we have to do is come up with something to waste a few hours. How hard can it be?"

"Really hard," Amber lamented. "I doubt we can just pop in a movie—the twins will never let me live that down." She moaned in frustration. "Dani never once mentioned anything about me planning a party. I asked her outright what I was supposed to do as the Maid of Honor and she said 'just come to the wedding!'"

"It'll be a breeze," Rook insisted.

"Do you actually have a plan, Rook?" Theo asked, smirking at his girlfriend. She beamed, tossing her braid over one shoulder.

"Of course I do. Now, someone tell me where I can find a big piece of wood."


Haiven scrubbed down the wash bin again, trying to keep herself busy. Usually, when she spent this much time at the Hidden Village, she brought along all her embroidery projects, but she hadn't taken any more orders after finally delivering the ones she had finished, and she was burned out enough that she didn't feel like doing any personal projects. However, the days trickled by so slowly here, and she was trying to remember how she had kept herself busy when she lived here full time.

Haiven heard someone coming, and she met Iona at the door. The xinta blinked as Haiven took the basket of herbs from her arms without saying anything, immediately moving to sort and bundle them. She could feel Iona's eyes on the back of her head, but she didn't turn.

"Haiven...you know how much I appreciate you being here—it's been really good to have you back," Iona finally offered. Haiven just nodded, not turning as she deftly tied string around small bundles of an orange, feathery herb. When she realized Haiven wasn't going to react more, Iona continued. "I just wish you would tell me what's going on. You haven't been this out of sorts since you broke things off with the Prince. Has he done something to hurt you? I can't help but feel he's got something to do with the fact that you showed up here out of the blue two weeks ago."

Haiven shook her head once, wishing Iona would drop the topic. The xinta could read her emotions though, she knew, and she was careful to steel her feelings around the topic of Theo. Technically, Iona was right—what happened with Theo was part of the reason she had retreated back to the Hidden village…but admitting as much would just send Iona on a warpath. The truth was, in all the time she had to think while being back here, Haiven realized that she wasn't actually angry with Theo, or Alan, or Pescar…or anyone she had snapped at back in the East. She was angry with herself, and she really wasn't sure what to do about it.

"You can tell me what happened. I know something had to have, in order for you to come home like this. As much as I want to believe you're here because you miss all of us—"

I just needed a change of scene, Haiven offered before turning back to her task.

"That's what you keep saying, but that doesn't give me any clue to what you mean by that. Was someone cruel to you? Are you being threatened?"

No. Haiven turned to fix Iona with a withering look. I just…needed a break from work. All that sewing was getting to me.

Iona nodded slowly, though she didn't look like she quite believed her. "All right. Well…when you do want to discuss it…let me know."

Haiven turned back to the herbs. Ok.