Most of the delegations had laid claims to tables throughout the mess hall by the time Andromeda, Luna, and Aulea returned. Suman, Klahan, Hira, Kalpana, and Prasad had received plates of food and claimed a table for themselves. Andromeda noted where they were, then went to get herself a plate as quick as possible.

Hira moved over to give her a seat at the table, already full. Narayan was likewise squeezed between his uncle and Klahan. He was the only one without food in front of him, having already eaten. There was no sight of the other children.

"What was the conversation about?" Suman asked. Most of them were halfway through their meal.

"The Lucians are upset with me over the oath," Andromeda explained with some reluctance. She focused more on the food on her plate.

Kalpana gave a shrug beside her and muttered. "What did you expect?"

"Should we expect any problems?" Suman asked.

"I handled it," Andromeda said. There wasn't anything any of them could really do about it anyway.

"Are you in trouble?" Hira asked, showing more concern than the others.

She gave her own shrug. "It was more of a lecture than conversation. But that's all. I'm going to be watched, but you guys don't have anything to worry about."

She continued to eat, starving. She didn't want to think for awhile. The worst seemed to be over after the talk with Aulea. It was behind them all now. Even if Andromeda was going to be watched by a Glaive, she had already accomplished what she needed to.

"It sounds as though you're well-known in Tenebrae," Klahan mentioned, his plate clean.

She did not look up. "That's news to me."

She didn't have much to say. When they all finished their meals, they shuffled out of the mess hall for more comfortable areas in the barracks. Andromeda split off from them to call Linda. She had sent a couple of texts to her since arriving back in Lucis, but hadn't had time to just call and talk to her. Or Kai, for that matter.

She didn't tell Linda what was really going on at the base—just that everyone was safe and spending a lot of time in talks. Andromeda assured that everyone would soon go to Lestallum, although she couldn't say for sure when. She hoped soon; she needed to see Sheila. Michael had texted her a picture of his newborn.

Andromeda hung up the phone about an hour later. She didn't know where everyone had gone off to, so carefully proceeded to go about the hall, looking into open doors for Hira or Suman. After Aulea's grousing, she wanted to avoid Lucians for awhile.

The few general purpose rooms were full of people, a mix of delegates and Glaives. All seemed in good spirits; as opposed to the somberness that had been the summit so far. No one was looking for Andromeda, nor seemed to notice her. If she was being watched, it was without her knowledge.

"Andromeda."

Hira had come up from behind. She was carrying two dark bottles. One was already opened and some of the beer was already drunk. She held out the second one.

Andromeda hadn't thought there was any beer on the base. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Hira managed to find some. She hesitated to take the offered beer.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"Some hunters brought a bunch out," Hira said. "They have some of the "fancy stuff" for the "sophisticated" people, too."

Andromeda snorted, then shook her head. "I'm not interested right now."

She wasn't comfortable drinking around so many people that weren't exactly allies. Nor did she want Hira to get drunk and make a fool of herself. Hira didn't moderate herself. Andromeda didn't need any more trouble.

The other woman pushed the bottle towards her and sounded particularly sober. "You need a drink." Andromeda took the bottle into her own hand reluctantly. "It only takes one or two to make you relax anyway, right?"

"Yeah," She admitted.

Hira walked passed her. Andromeda followed her into a lounge room. The main focus of the room was a small table, where Klahan, Suman, and two Glaives sat playing cards. Narayan watched over his uncle's shoulder. Kalpana sat on one of the two couches in the room, watching the game with some interest.

The two women took the other couch. Klahan played a card and the two Glaives groaned. Andromeda opened her beer and took a sip.

She and Hira watched the game for awhile. At first, victory seemed imminent for one half of the table, then it shifted to the other. Narayan whispered some ideas between Klahan and Suman, the latter of which usually shrugged him off and did as he would. Andromeda sipped her beer intermittently. While it dulled her wariness, she didn't exactly feel relaxed.

After awhile, Hira turned to her with a smile. "Hey, we won."

"We did," She agreed.

"Then why do you still look so miserable?" Hira's smile fell, some anger in her voice.

Andromeda took a moment before responding carefully, "I'm thinking about all the people that should be here to see it happen. Sonam. Tshering."

It wasn't a complete lie—she did miss them, and they had deserved to see freedom more than she did. Everything would be completely different if they were still around.

Hira's shoulder relaxed. She looked back at the card game. "Yeah, but we were all here for them. It's the best we could do for them. I wish my brothers could have seen it."

They fell silent. Her family had become a sensitive subject between them, since Hira's family had died in Insomnia, and Andromeda had only rescued her own. The other woman kept quiet. She wasn't sure what she could say that wouldn't upset Hira. The conversation was dropped.

They sat in some tension for a few minutes. Then Hira stood up. "I'm getting another beer. Want one?"

Andromeda's bottle was only three-quarters empty. "I'm fine."

After Hira left, the game finally came to an end with one of the Glaives claiming victory. Suman stepped away from the table. Kalpana took his seat as the Glaives wanted to go another round.

Klahan looked across the room at Andromeda. "You want in?"

She held up her bottle. "I'll pass."

Narayan stood behind Kalpana, as he had done to Suman. He looked over her shoulder as she was dealt a hand of cards.

"Don't bother her," His uncle scolded, having taken the woman's seat on the couch.

"It's fine," Kalpana assured. "I don't really know how to play this game."

As everyone settled in for another round, Andromeda suddenly didn't want to be around them. She rose and left. She was prepared to tell them she was going to find more beer, but no one noticed her leave.

She didn't see Hira in the hall, which was a relief. If they continued sitting there in the room, an argument was inevitable. Andromeda didn't want to go through it with her. They had been managing to avoid it for a whole month, but the tension was still there.

She went to the stairwell at the end of the hall. She climbed all the way up to the roof. Two Glaives stood in a far corner, smoking. Aside from them, the rooftop was deserted. Few would willingly be outside on such a chilly night.

Andromeda walked towards the edge facing the rest of the base. She looked around at the ground below. Glaives went about on duty. She could see some movement in the windows of the armory and the administration building, but they were too far to distinguish what was really happening inside.

Two sentry Glaives stood on each wall of the base, looking out into the darkness. Andromeda knew she was visible to them, but she wasn't worried about them. The massive lights keeping the daemons away also made it impossible to see any stars. It was overcast anyway.

She wished she had brought a second beer, yet didn't dare go back downstairs yet. She wanted some peace and quiet for a bit, away from everyone else. The rooftop was just the place for that; the two smoking Glaives remained in their corner. She sat on the ground, leaning against the short wall that surrounded the rooftop. No one could see her from below.

All in all, she hadn't made out too bad with Galahd's independence. She wasn't being watched at the moment; then again, there were so many Glaives and hunters and other people around that no one needed to stand over her—that would change when she left here. Aulea hadn't said anything about imprisoning her anywhere. Andromeda's phone hadn't been taken away either. She realized that her punishment could have been far worse. Still, having most authority figures upset with her was a considerable problem.

Andromeda hadn't thought much before requesting that Crowe not escort her any longer. She almost wished she had kept her mouth shut. Yet the two of them couldn't seem to hold a conversation without one of them getting upset anymore—it would have kept them miserable. Staying away from each other was best: they could focus on the work at hand.

It was this reasoning, and Andromeda's unwillingness to face Aulea again and admit regret, that kept her from trying to take any of it back. Andromeda hoped that whoever would escort her next would be someone she could get along with.

The door to the stairway opened abruptly, jarring her thoughts. Luna stepped out into the night air. She looked around briefly before spotting the other woman. Andromeda realized she should have moved further away behind the stairwell entrance.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect anyone to be up here." Luna approached her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," She said. "What are you looking for?"

"I just wanted some space," The princess admitted. "But you're fine where you are. I wouldn't mind your company. May I sit with you?"

Andromeda gave a shrug. Luna sat on the ground rather close to her. Neither one of them were exactly dressed heavily enough for the cool night.

"It's cold out," Andromeda warned.

"You're sitting out here. Aren't you cold?" Luna countered.

She held up her mostly-empty beer. "I'm prepared." It was doing nothing to keep her warm. "Want some?"

"No, thank you," Luna said. Andromeda knew she would decline; it just felt awkward to be the only one drinking.

She took a small sip from the bottle in thought. "Are you okay? Claustra really had it out for you in the meeting. She might have made a few enemies for herself."

"It's fine," Luna insisted. "Secretary Claustra's frustrations are justified. I haven't done anything yet that I had promised."

"But you have a plan."

She glanced at her knees, pulled up to her chest. "I'm not certain the gods will be pleased to see me. The plan mostly relies on Noctis."

"Shiva seemed a little happy to see you," Andromeda pointed out. As happy as she could be for someone so inexpressive. "And you handled Leviathan in Altissia. We saw a little of that Summoning. That was when you were weakened by all the other covenants, right?"

The thought of the covenants raised a problem: if Luna planned to remake those covenants, it would just weaken and kill her again. She and Noctis must have been planning to avoid that somehow. It would only cause what they were trying to prevent.

"I do not want to fight the gods," Luna said. "Noctis had only to prove his strength to them before to forge the covenants with them."

"It could come to that, and not just because of you," Andromeda mentioned.

She was pensive for a moment before she faced her. "I would like for you to be there when Noctis and I go to speak with the gods."

The request surprised the other woman. She became hesitant again. If the gods would be upset to see Luna resurrected, they would be even more angered to be approached by Andromeda. She was Etro's first Blessed One. She didn't want to be anywhere near the gods, either.

Luna waited and watched for a moment. "Are you really alright? Aulea was quite upset with you. I haven't had much time to speak with Crowe."

"It was fine," Andromeda said, although her good humor was far gone now.

Nothing had really changed; it wasn't like Crowe hadn't been watching her before for Aulea. It wasn't the first time Andromeda had been lectured harshly. She had gotten off easy. The damage was done, and it was irreversible.

"What happened between you and Crowe?" Luna asked. "You always got along so well before."

"She didn't appreciate all of the stuff I was doing behind her back in her home country," Andromeda explained bluntly. It was understandable, really. "I had kept some secrets that probably should have been shared before we got to Galahd. You heard all about them by now."

Luna looked down as she stretched her legs out, pensive again. "I think I understand. I understand at least that this was very important for you to accomplish. And I'm happy for everyone that it has gone so peacefully. Have you and Crowe talked?"

"We are talking," Andromeda replied, as if it were obvious. In truth, it wasn't at all like they used to: they had only really briefly talked when it came to logistics of the mission. She realized that they hadn't even done that since before the battle at Trevor's farm, two days prior.

"It's not like high school. It's not like we're pretending we don't exist to each other," She went on. Yet it could come to that: the Glaives had fought for Lucis to regain Galahd, picking the more peaceful ruler they had always known over the zealous emperor. Galahd hadn't been independent for about two centuries. It complicated things for the Glaives, serving an outside power's military now. This all could have made Crowe's life as a clanless much harder; Andromeda had to admit there were moments when she felt uneasy about Kalpana.

"I've apologized a couple of times already," She said. "We've already handled it."

Luna gave a nod, but still looked troubled. "Please don't push Crowe away. You were such good friends. Speak with her again."

"What about you and Nyx?" Andromeda asked abruptly. Changing the subject like this had worked so well on Lib. She had accepted his advice, but she would not tolerate any from Luna.

The Oracle hesitated before speaking. "I owe Nyx my life. If it hadn't been for him and Libertus, I would have never made it out of Insomnia."

"He's a good choice," She commented. "He took his command very seriously. He worried about you."

"I appreciate his concern," Luna replied.

"Between Nyx and Noctis, Nyx seems the better choice."

"Please stop talking about this."

Luna looked even more troubled by the subject. Andromeda raised a brow. It seemed she couldn't talk to anyone too long without upsetting them.

"Sorry," She said.

The other woman nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "Before I died, I didn't have many that I could call a friend. Not in the way I have heard and seen Noctis and his friends treat each other. To everyone, I have always been the Oracle and princess, always addressed so honorably and put on a pedestal. It was so lonely.

"I was the last to join our group. I am glad I did. It wasn't an easy journey for us, but it was the most fun and adventure I've ever had. I never had true friends that saw past my titles and treated me like an equal. I wouldn't be anywhere now without you three—we need each other. I fear that the bond we four share is coming to an end. I fear what will happen to us."

"No one is dying, or going anywhere," Andromeda said gently. As Luna still had a worried expression, she put an arm around her shoulders. The blond obligingly rested her head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Andromeda apologized again. Their group was fracturing all because of her secrets. "No one is angry with you. We'll all be there for you when you face the gods again."

She didn't want to, but she already knew that somehow, she would be made to be present. She dreaded the Summonings: the gods had already made their ultimatum for Luna's life. Andromeda briefly wondered if they would compromise with a substitute—they couldn't afford to lose Luna again.

"We aren't leaving you," She added.

"You're the only one who doesn't observe the proper titles with me now," Luna mentioned.

"No one is around to scold me for it," Andromeda reasoned. She had never been very good with royal titles to begin with.

Luna smiled slightly at that. Though her fears were true: the summer had come to an end, and with it, the adventure the four of them had had. Aulea and Crowe were embracing it as well, if they were resuming the use of Luna's titles with her. Crowe was a soldier and Aulea was the queen mother again. Luna had to continue her Oracle duties. Once again, Andromeda didn't fit in to any of it. She wasn't used to staying around the same people and in the same place for so long; she found herself wanting to move on.

"We'll be okay," She assured Luna again. "We're all bound together through Etro's magic, right?"

Andromeda realized that she did need to talk to Crowe—she had to be ready for that conversation, whether she wanted to be or not. It wasn't just for themselves; they couldn't support Luna while divided.

"Thank you," Luna said.

She sat up straighter. Andromeda pulled her arm away. She noticed her beer was empty, and decided that she could use a second one after all.

"Let's go back inside. The last time the two of us disappeared together caused an uproar," She said. "Unless you wouldn't mind charming some Glaives while I stole the keys to one of their trucks. It would be better than a hunter's truck."

Another smile flickered on Luna's face. The joke wasn't appreciated. The two of them stood. She led the way back inside and down the stairs.