The apartment was clean and some of the furniture had been changed out, presumably Olin and his family had taken some of it for their personal use, and it had been replaced by newer furniture.

Aloy felt exhausted from the long journey and when she lay down just to rest her eyes a little, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Aloy didn't wake up until she repeatedly heard knocking at the door. She had no idea how long she had slept, but it had to be night by now. Still sleepy she got up and opened the door. "Avad!" she exclaimed. He was dressed in normal clothes, and wearing a big cloak around his shoulders, but she recognised him immediately.

"Can I come in?" Avad asked, looking up from under the hood.

"Of course," Aloy said and stepped aside so he could enter the apartment.

"I wanted to come here without taking any of the guards, hence the disguise," Avad said as he removed his cloak. He was wearing a normal shirt, or at least what passed as a normal shirt in Meridian, made from a fabric more delicate than anything she'd ever seen with the Nora, and gold decorations stitched onto it. Avad was also not wearing his headdress; instead his black hair was loose, looking messy and longer than Aloy had expected.

"I did not know the Sun-King went around visiting people's homes," Aloy said.

Avad smiled, "at times, but normally only with an escort of guards, of course." Avad took Aloy's hands into his, "but I wanted to see you, alone."

"Avad, I - "

"Please, let me speak," he said. "I know I spoke too soon, all those years ago, tried to pursue something before its time," he said softly, "but I want you to know my feelings for you have never waned, never diminished."

Aloy felt her cheeks burning. "Avad, I can't... I can't be anyone's replacement," she said.

"Aloy, I know you think I only asked you to stay then because of my grief for Ersa, but that's not..." He paused and seemed to really consider his next words. "I shared a strong bond with Ersa, but at that time I had already accepted we would never be together, that it was impossible, and a notion I had to let go off. I still cared deeply for Ersa, but I had already given up on that possibility. I wanted her by my side as a friend, a trusted advisor. When she died... I grieved for her, but I had already mourned the love we could never share. It was the wrong time to ask you to stay by my side, I realised that the moment you rejected my offer; it was too soon after what had happened, and you had a path to follow that would take you far from the city. But my feelings have never faltered, and I still - "

A thunderous roar interrupted Avad's confession. Aloy and Avad looked at each other, both shocked, then looked around them. Aloy got up and opened the front door, looking for the sound's origin.

"Aloy! Watch out!" Avad's voice came from behind her. Aloy turned to see Avad being dragged away by two men she recognised as being Shadow Carja.

Aloy drew her bow and manage to shoot one of the men through the head, killing him instantly. The other tried to rush her, his axe lifted above his head, ready to strike, but Aloy managed to dodge him and create just enough distance between them for her to draw her bow again, and shoot him in the stomach. The man staggered back and before he could recover his footing, Aloy leaped forward and finished him with her spear. The man's body collapsed to the ground as Avad rushed forward to meet Aloy.

"Are you all right," they asked in chorus, both holding on to each other's arms.

"Those were Shadow Carja," Avad said.

"I know, I recognised the armour," Aloy said.

"I thought the Shadow Carja had joined with the Carja?" Aloy asked.

"Most of them, yes, but there is still a small fraction who feel... differently than the others did," Avad said.

"How would they know you were here?"

"They must have followed me from the palace," Avad said.

"Maybe you shouldn't have come here without a guard," Aloy said.

"This isn't the first time I've been in the city by myself, I know the paths to use to avoid attention," Avad said. His look turned quizzical as he looked up at Aloy. "Would you have preferred I didn't come here tonight?" he asked, his voice slightly tense.

Aloy opened her mouth to speak, but wasn't sure if she was willing to be honest about how happy she had been to see him at the door. "I think we should get you back to the palace," she said instead. "Where there are guards."

Avad only nodded and followed her.