Chapter 5:

Riven unlocked the front door and entered their home, expecting Irelia to hear her enter and greet her, only to find an empty house. The Captain must be still stuck in her office, most likely still dealing with some sort of emergency Riven didn't know about. She headed upstairs, entering their bedroom and grabbing the back she had used months earlier when she fled the Placidium and began stuffing it with clothes and other necessities. While preoccupied with packing her things and trying to make it all fit, Riven had failed to notice Irelia's return home and her presence in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Are you leaving me again?" Irelia said with a sombre tone, obviously referring to months prior when Riven left the Placidium without so much as a warning. The Captain clearly thought Riven was attempting to leave again without saying a word which made sense with how frustrated the Noxian had been recently, seemingly unhappy in Ionia.

"No, not like that. I'm going back to the Institute for a few days; I'll be back in about a week. I was going to tell you as soon as I got home but you weren't here so I just started packing." Irelia's expression changed, improving at the knowledge that Riven wasn't planning to leave her alone without saying goodbye.

"Why? Who needs you to go back?"

"Luxanna sent me a letter," Riven started as she looked away, continuing to pack her bag as an excuse to not make eye contact as she lied, "She needs me to help her, to do her a favour, she wouldn't say what it was through letters though so I'm not sure what it's about." Irelia pursed her lips as Riven's eyes found hers again.

"What do you want me to do with your soldiers while you're gone?" Riven pulled the straps of her bag closed and turned to Irelia.

"Just put them on a break for a week, I'm sure they'd be glad to have a break from me anyway."

"Are you leaving now? It's dark out; you should at least wait until morning."

"It seems urgent." Riven picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder, crossing the room to the Captain.

"Let me know if anything changes, okay?" Riven nodded, ducking in for a kiss goodbye before heading down the stairs. "I love you." Irelia called out after her causing Riven to feel a pang of guilt.

"Love you too." She called back before grabbing her shattered rune sword and heading out the front door.

Riven walked through the night and into the afternoon of the next day, choosing not to stop anywhere on her trip to the Institute. She preferred to stay unnoticed on her trip, choosing to take backroads over the normal routes even if they were better maintained. Riven wondered about what she should expect from this meeting with LeBlanc, the woman was known as the Deceiver for a reason, she could be travelling all this way for nothing. But the opportunity to possibly change Noxus and be able to return home was something too good to pass up even at the risk of this being a trap.

As much as Irelia tried to make Ionia Riven's home, it wasn't the same. Irelia had taken the time to get Riven a position in the military which was all Riven had known, even had taught her how to speak and read Ionian to make the transition easier but it made little difference when Riven stuck out like a sore thumb. She was very clearly a foreigner and while she did speak the language, it was poorly at best.

Riven felt guilty about the entire situation, not just about lying to Irelia, but her want to leave Ionia and return home as well. Irelia had made all these efforts to make her stay comfortable and she still wanted to leave. She wasn't sure what would come next, assuming LeBlanc was being honest and the plan they come up with ends up working, what would that mean for their relationship? She couldn't ask Irelia to move to Noxus.

Riven's thoughts were interrupted by LeBlanc appearing in front of her. She had arrived at the outer walls of the Institute and LeBlanc had come to bring her inside without being noticed Riven assumed.

"How'd you know I was here?" Riven asked, earning a slight smirk from the Deceiver.

"I had someone follow you, of course." Riven quirked her eyebrow at that.

"Someone far better than that boy you had follow me for months, clearly."

"I had to get an amateur to follow you in Ionia, how else would you have figured out how to contact me? Now, follow me." She said, gesturing to a passage way she had created on the outside of the wall.