Aloy held her breath as she climbed the stairs. Aloy looked over her shoulder at Jorgriz, who looked even more worried than she did. Possibly because he was going to have to explain to the other guards how she had escaped. Or why her equipment was gone. Aloy had told Jorgriz to say she'd managed to grab him and threatened to kill him unless he handed over the keys and told her where to find her weapons, but would they believe him? And would it even matter? Maybe the Shadow Carja would punish Jorgriz severely regardless. Jorgriz shared her fears, but refused to come with Aloy, for fear of what the Shadow Carja might do to his family.

Aloy froze when she spotted the guard near the top of the stairs. The guard was slouching, leaning on his spear, nodding off. Aloy slowly made her way to the guard, as she reached him, she was close enough to the top of the stairs to just look over the top of the stairs. She drew in a sharp intake of breath, as Aloy spotted a second guard, standing nearer the palace itself. That guard looked more alert, but he wasn't looking in the direction of the stairs. Aloy took her chance. She leaped up, grabbing the slouching guard near her by the back of his uniform, dragging him to the floor. His helmet flew through the air, clattering on the tiles. If the other guard noticed, he was too late. Aloy dragged the guard out of sight, and quickly ended him with her spear.

Aloy peeked above the top of the stairs to see where the other guard was. She'd expected to see him approaching the stairs, sure he must have heard the commotion, but he was gone. She looked closer and noticed the palace doors were open. Maybe the guard had gone inside?

Aloy looked behind her to see Jorgriz still at the beginning of the stairs. She motioned for him to come join her, but he shook his head. "I can't," he said.

Aloy bit her lip, she glanced at the top of the stairs and Jorgriz. "Jorgriz, we can go get your family, before the Shadow Carja realise you're gone."

Jorgriz shook his head again. "Not all of them, and even if they were safe the Shadow Carja would just attack the Heap."

They'd had this discussion before and Aloy already knew all of Jorgriz' arguments, but it still felt wrong to leave him behind.

"Aloy, please leave before other guards come," Jorgriz said. By the tone of his voice it was clear she wouldn't be able to change his mind this time either.

Aloy hesitated but then said, "Thank you, Jorgriz." He nodded in response before disappearing back to the cells.

Aloy turned to the top of the stairs again and looked around the courtyard, trying to remember the way she had escaped the palace once before. Before she could see her way out, the palace's door opened further. Aloy's body tensed up, ready to run or fight. But then she saw who came out of the palace.

" Avad, " Aloy whispered to herself at the sight of the him peeking through the door.

Aloy scrambled up the last few stairs and started running towards Avad before even wondering if someone would spot her.

Avad spotted her running across the courtyard. "Aloy!" Avad said louder than he should, and he rushed forward to meet her, catching her in his arms when they met. Aloy was too happy to see him to worry about being seen. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

"I'm so happy to see you, I'm so happy you're safe," Avad whispered into her hair, his arms tightening a little more around her.

"Me too," Aloy replied and hugged him tighter as well.

Avad pulled back a little, cupped Aloy's face, pulling her into a sweet kiss. She kissed him back happily.

"How did you-" Talanah asked as she pushed through the door, before abruptly stopping as she spotted Aloy and Avad.

Avad and Aloy broke apart, but Avad quickly took Aloy's hand, and she let him.

"One of the guards let me out," Aloy said.

"One of the guards?" Avad asked.

"Yes, Jorgriz, I knew him before. He didn't believe what they were saying about me and didn't want to see me executed."

"They wouldn't have executed you," Talanah said.

"No, I know what they were really aiming for," Aloy said, barely looking at Avad.

"But the Shadow Carja didn't expect us to come in through the palace; they're guarding the wrong places," Avad said, defending himself against Aloy's unvoiced accusation.

"Yes but you still shouldn't have risked yourself," Aloy said.

"Would you not have come for me?" Avad locked eyes with Aloy, as if daring her to tell him again how he should have abandoned her.

Aloy bit her lip and looked down, her eyes lingering at their interlocked hands. "Can we escape the way you came in?" Aloy asked, changing the subject.

"Yes, it's through here," Avad said.

Avad pulled Aloy into the palace and down a long hallway. At the end he pushed open a door to what Aloy quickly recognised as a bedroom.

Aloy looked around the large room, her eyes briefly resting on the many locks on the door, as Avad led her to the far wall.

"There's a tunnel that leads outside the city, just behind that grate," Avad said.

Aloy looked around the room again, and then noticed a large canvas hanging on the wall, it features several Nora designs. It looked out of place between all the red and gold Carja decorations of the room. Aloy didn't remember seeing any Nora designs in the city; this was the only time she had seen something from the Nora on display in Meridian.

Aloy turned to Avad. "This is your room?"

Avad's eyes flashed to the canvas Aloy was looking at. "Yes," he said.

Aloy couldn't help but smile to herself.

"It was my father's before me," Aloy added, sounding eager to move on, "we have him to thank for the escape route."

Aloy nodded, but her attention was still on the canvas. The room was full of personal items, it made her feel like she was invading Avad's privacy, seeing things he might not want to share with her. It was strange to be in a place so personal during a time like this.

"Aloy?" Avad's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. He took her hand and pulled her with him. Talanah stayed behind, giving Avad and Aloy some privacy.

"Aloy," Avad said when they reach the far corner of the room. His voice was soft enough to not be overheard. "I'm… I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"I… I let them take you."

"You didn't let them take me, we all-"

"If I had killed that guard, if I hadn't hesitated, they wouldn't have taken you."

Aloy blinked at Avad, trying to understand what he even meant.

"If I hadn't hesitated…"

"Avad," Aloy placed her hand on his shoulder. "No, that's not… You shouldn't blame yourself."

"I have killed before but I just couldn't…"

Avad sat down on a large red sofa that was standing against the wall. Aloy sat down next to him.

"When we overthrew my father," Avad started, his eyes on his hands, "we came into the city with a large force, but only a few of us pressed forward to the palace. My father was still holed up in this room, behind all those locks," Avad gestured to the door and its many locking mechanisms. Avad's voice was calm, almost detached, as he kept talking, clearly just wanting to get through it. "But we managed to get through the door. And then… There were others there... I could've asked them but…"

Aloy realised now what Avad was telling her. She reached out and tentatively put her hand on his, unsure if he wanted her to. Avad looked up at her and briefly smiled as he closed his hand around hers.

"I felt I couldn't ask them… it was my responsibility." Avad paused.. "I killed him, I killed my father. In this room." He didn't look at her, and moved uneasy on the sofa. "And I… think I just couldn't… in that hallway, I couldn't… not again."

Aloy moved closer to Avad. "I understand," she said, squeezing his hand. "But I hope you don't feel like you need to explain yourself to me, I don't blame you, and you shouldn't either."

Avad looked up at her and smiled, he reached out and adjusted a lock of her hair. "I know, Aloy. I just wanted you to know."

Aloy reached out, wanting to hug Avad, but hesitating before reaching him, but Avad quickly closed the distanced and wrapped his arms around her. Aoy hugged him back and they sat like that for a while.

"We should go," Avad said eventually as he slowly let go of Aloy.

Aloy nodded.

Avad got up from the sofa, offering Aloy his hand to help her up. They walked back over to Talanah, who was still standing near the entrance of the escape tunnel. She turned around when she heard them approach. "Ready to leave?" she asked. Both of them nodded in response.

The way back through the escape tunnel was as smooth as it could be. All three of them travelling in silence as they moved through the tunnels, safely out of sight from anyone who might recognise them. If the other guards had discovered Aloy's escape, there were no alarms being rung that they could hear, hidden as they were now.

When the three of them finally reached the end, they all climbed out of the tunnel, echoing each other's relieve to be free from the cramp spaces. Aloy stretched her sore limbs as she checked to see where the tunnel had led them. They were at the edge of Meridian village. It was busy in the village, but no one seemed to notice them in the secluded area they were.

"Ilad's estate is a little away from the village," Talanah said. "It shouldn't take us long to get there."

"And when we do?" Avad asked.

"We find the leadership," Aloy said, "hopefully."

"Should we rest first?" Talanah asked.

Aloy hesitated, almost too eager to get this over with to recognise it was a good idea. FInally she said, "Yes, it will be best if we wait until it's dark."

"I agree," Avad said, and then when he noticed the two women looking at him added: "You're not planning on leaving me behind, are you?"

Aloy shaked her head. "I think we need to go in together," she said. Avad noticeably relaxed at the answer. Aloy wished she could leave Avad behind, but there was no way of knowing what they would find at the estate, and they needed all the help they could get. There was no way to contact Marad and Vanasha needed to protect Avad's brother, so Avad, Talanah and Aloy would have to go in together.

They found a spot near a rockwall, a little hidden spot there, hidden from curious passersby by the trees and rocks. After they finished off the last of their supplies, Talanah turned to Aloy and Avad, "Should we get some sleep before we leave?"

"I don't think I could sleep right now," Aloy said.

"I couldn't sleep right now, either," Avad said.

Talanagh bit her lip, "Do you mind if I get some sleep?"

"No, of course not," Aloy said, "we'll wake you up when it's dark enough to go."

Talanah smiled weakly, the exhaustion showing on her face. She walked to the most secluded place in the clearing and laid down on the dry grass. From here Aloy could only see Talanah's feet.

Aloy and Avad sat in silence for a little while. Aloy felt oddly awkward around him in this silence. Over these past days, some things had happened between Aloy and Avad, and it had left her unsure of how to act around him. What were they to each other now? Everything that had happened between them, was all in the heat of the moment, would that mean anything when things went back to normal?

After a short while Aloy was pulled out of her thoughts by a sudden deep sound coming from the corner Talanah was sleeping. She's snoring , Aloy realised.

Aloy and Avad's eyes met and they both laughed. Aloy glanced at Talanah, or at least her feet. When she looked back at Avad he was quiet, but looking so intently at her with his soft brown eyes, she felt her face flush. "She sure fell asleep quickly, didn't she?" Aloy asked.

Avad just nodded quickly, but didn't say anything.

Aloy glanced at him, he was no longer looking at her and his face was unreadable, and she couldn't help but think back to the Sun Ring.

"Is something the matter?" Avad asked after catching Aloy staring.

She shook her head, but Avad kept his eyes on her, waiting for her full response. "It… it was just strange seeing you as the Sun-King again, I guess over the past few days I had gotten used to seeing you as just Avad."

Avad frowned at that. "And now?"

"And now… I guess it was just a reminder that you are still the Sun-King." Aloy stopped herself from saying anything more, not wanting to betray how it had made her feel.

"I'm still just Avad, even when I wear a crown," Avad said, "And at any rate I'm not at the palace now."

"Yes, but after this is over-"

"After this is over, things will be different," Avad said.

Aloy raised her eyebrows.

Avad shifted, his gaze on the ground as he considered his next words. "I've been trying to change the Sundom since taking the throne, as you know, and I think I've been too careful." He looked over at Aloy. "The work has been too slow. After hearing what the young hunter's son told you in the Hunters' Lodge, and after what happened at the Sun-Ring, I think change has been coming too slowly."

"The Hunters' Lodge I understand, but we don't even know why the priest betrayed us."

"I do," Avad said. "For years I've had nobles come and complain to me about their lost influence, their lost wealth, their lost power. But they are not the only ones who have lost some of their power since I took the throne from my father. My father's bloody reign centred the Sun Faith, it was the Sun-Priests who decided who was guilty or not, they who organised the sacrifices, they who received the gifts meant to placate the Sun."

"You stopped all that?"

"Yes, I return them to their original function, and while the Sun Faith is still important to many citizens, it no longer wields the power it did, and with it their wealth has decreased as well. The gifts to the Sun now are smaller, tribute, not placation."

"And you think the Sun-Priests joined the Shadow Carja to regain their power?"

"Some of them have," Avad said. He leaned forward, letting his head rest in his hands. He let out a long sigh. "There is still so much that has to change to get the Sundom where it could be, and I've taken too long."

"I don't think that's true," Aloy said and she leaned forward to give Avad's arm a quick squeeze. Avad looked up at her and smiled. "Thank you, but things have to change."

"So what are you planning?"

A brief moment of excitement flashed across Avad's face. "Can I tell you what I want to do?"

"Of course?" Aloy looked at him curiously.

"One man high in his palace, looking down on all the small people," Avad looked pointedly at Aloy, and she realised he was using her words, words she'd spoken to him years ago, "that's not what I want Meridian to be, that's not what I the Sundom to be. One man should not wield this much power over this many people. My father has proven as much."

"But you've led your people fairly," Aloy said. She agreed with Avad, but at the same time didn't want to listen to him downplaying his accomplishments.

Avad cocked an eyebrow. "And the Sun-King after me?"

"I know, but-"

"These past days have proven I have failed my people, or at least some of them. I've tried, yes, but that is not enough."

"You can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong in the Sundom."

"I can't be the Sun-King, and not take responsibility for everything that happens under my rule, Aloy. I have failed, but I can't imagine what Sun-King wouldn't. There are too many parts of the city hidden from me, my advisers can only do so much, and the only citizens who can speak to me are the nobility. As long as those things do not change, I will never be able to improve the city, much less the Sundom."

"How do you plan on changing that?"

Excitement returned to Avad's face. "I want to create a council, not one with just a few advisers already close to me, not one with just the nobility, I want a council of citizens. People from all parts of Meridian and eventually the whole of the Sundom. I want people who can represent the people I never hear, and tell me what needs to happen to improve those lives." Avad turned to Aloy fully and took her hands in his. "And eventually, I want the council to rule the Sundom."

Aloy felt her heart flutter, because she understood why Avad was so happy to tell her, why he was holding onto her while he did, he knew as well as she did what that would mean for them. A future.

"And you would lead the council?"

Avad raised his eyebrows. "For the first years, yes, but I hope the council can lead itself eventually. If after some years I still feel the council needs a leader, I will find a way for one to be chosen, but no one who will wield as much power as a Sun-King again."

Looking at Avad, Aloy couldn't help but hope. She knew how difficult this was, she knew how the SUndom looked at the Sun-King, and it would not be easy to change that. But she couldn't stop that small flicker of hope inside her chest from growing.

Avad was looking at her with the same kind of warmth in his eyes, but Aloy didn't understand where his came from. "What?" she asked, shifting uncomfortable under his gaze.

"I was just thinking," Avad said slowly, as if unsure if he should speak, "how happy I am you came back to Meridian. I don't think I would have had the courage to even consider this plan, if I hadn't spent these past days with you."

Aloy blinked at him.

"I mean it, you've made me see it's time, pushed me to do better." Avad hesitated. "And of course, I… missed you."

Avad paused, and Aloy was unsure if he was waiting for a response. When it looked he was about to speak again, she quickly - but quietly - said, "I missed you too."

Avad smiled in response. "Regardless of what happens at Ilad's estate, regardless of what has happened, getting to spend this time with you, these past few days, has been wonderful."

Aloy didn't know how to respond, part of her wanted to joke about the danger they had been in these past days, but she was rendered mute by the look in Avad's eyes.

Avad took her face in his hands and gently pulled her in. Aloy felt her heart flutter as his lips brushed against hers. He looked deep into her eyes before going in for a deeper kiss. Aloy's hands moved up Avad's arms, her fingers burying in his hair, as he gently pushed her back against the grass and-

"Oww!" Aloy sprung up as one of the bows strapped to her back poked against her spine.

"Are you all right?" Avad asked.

Aloy rubbed her back. "Yes, I just forgot about these," she said as she took the bows off her back and laid them in the grass..

"I apologize, I got carried away," Avad said. His eyes moved to the two bows Aloy had now laid down in the grass. "That does not look comfortable," he joked, pointing at the larger bow.

"It was actually that one poking me," Aloy pointed at the smaller bow. It was old and damaged, the paint was faded, and many of the beads had fallen off. The string hadn't been strung for years and it was raffling at the end.

"You can hunt with that bow?" Avad asked.

"I don't use it anymore."

"But you still carry it with you?"

"It was a gift," Aloy bit her lip. She had never shared this story with anyone before. "It was my very first bow. Rost made it for me, when I was a child."

Avad gave her a small smile. While he had never heard this story before, he did know who Rost was to Aloy, and what had happened to him. "You still carry it with you, after all these years?"

Aloy picked the bow up and ran her fingers over its weathered wood. "I guess it just reminds me of home; when I carry it with me, I feel like I'm carrying a tiny bit of home."

Avad laid his hand on her arm. "I'm sorry, you most still miss him dearly."

"I don't think that ever goes away." Aloy looked up at Avad. "You must miss your brother as well."

Avad nodded. He looked at the bow. "I still have a few of his things in the palace, those my father didn't burn after his death."

It looked like Avad would continue his story, but then he suddenly shifted so he was sitting on his knees, leaning forward. "Aloy, I… I don't want to miss you, when we get to Ilad, please just… just be careful. I've had to watch you almost get killed before, back when you went to face Hades…" Avad shook his head. "When the spiral activated again and I knew you were safe. I… I've never felt so relieved in my life. I wanted to tell you then, but it was too soon. And then you left."

"Tell me what?" Aloy asked, for the first time not scared of the answer, instead desperate to hear it from Avad.

Avad moved closer, taking her hands in his. "Tell you that I'm in love with you."

Aloy's heart skipped a beat at those words. Avad was keeping her gaze, his hands still holding hers, as his thumbs tracing circles over her skin. In that moment he seemed so confident, but also so vulnerable, so honest, Aloy couldn't help but do the same.

"I'm in love with you too," she said, her voice soft.

Avad's face lit up. A smile starting in his eyes, spread across his features. He rushed forward in a kiss, and Aloy eagerly met him, his soft mouth working against hers, their lips parting at the same time as they deepened the kiss. Avad wrapped his arms around Aloy, moving forward with enough force to make them collapsed to the ground together. Aloy didn't care. The grass was soft and warm from the sun. She wrapped her arms around Avad, pulling him closer against her. Avad let out a soft moan at that, eagerly responding to her. When they parted, both of them were breathing heavily. For a moment Aloy regretted Talanah's presence; she wanted to be alone with Avad.

Avad followed Aloy's gaze and understood what she was worried about. He rolled on his side, so he was lying next to her, his hand playing with her hair. There was still a smile playing around his lips. Avad reached out and traced his face with her fingers. She hadn't felt this free around him before. Something had changed, somewhere along the line she had stopped trying to push away what she was feeling. Lying here in the grass with Avad she felt more happy than she had in years.

Avad leaned in to give her a quick, chaste kiss. "Aloy," he whispered, his face still close to hers, "I want us to be together."

Aloy felt herself smile before she could even process the words. Her heart beating eagerly in her chest. But at the same time, Avad's words reminded her of the reality of their situation. "I don't know if I can stay in Meridian," she said, "I have more to see, there are mysteries I still want to explore."

"And I would never ask you not to do that," Avad said, his fingers brushing against her cheek. "Go where you will, do what you want. I just ask you come back home to me."

"You could live like that?" Aloy asked. "I could be gone for many days at a time."

Avad laughed softly. "Aloy, I've waited years for you to come back."

Aloy felt her face flush at those words. "Yes, but that was different, we weren't together."

"Hmm," Avad gave her another quick kiss, "but I was already yours." Avad held her gaze.

Aloy looked at him and thought back over the past few days, and then the past few years. "You really think this could work?"

Avad nodded.

"But you're free to say no, of course," Avad said, suddenly unsure, perhaps worried he was pressuring her.

Aloy shook her head. "I don't want to say no, Avad," she said, "I... want to be with you."

A beaming smile formed on his face once more as he pulled her into his arms for a kiss.

When they broke for air, they both laid down in the grass again. Aloy rested her head on Avad's chest. Neither of them spoke as they laid there, enjoying each other's presence as they watched the sun move closer to the horizon.