The water was hot on her skin as she climbed into the tub and sat. Grateful for the heat in the midst of a chilly morning, Melia sat back relaxed, letting the water rush over her as she submerged. After months of nightmares, insomnia, and all around poor sleep, she'd finally slept through the night without any issues, and felt rather well-rested to her surprise. Instead, her dreams were of the pleasant nature. Centered around one specific person.

Dunban.

The Empress smiled as she lay her head on the tub's edge. The conversation last night had taken quite a turn from serious to flirtatious. And she'd liked it. Just thinking about their word play broadened her smile.

He'd gotten so close. If the door hadn't opened, would Dunban have kissed her? That was the second time that James had interrupted a possible kiss. She pouted as she rubbed the soap bar between her hands and over her legs. Would they get the chance again soon? She hoped so. Many of her dreams involved his lips on hers, her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands on her waist. It would be even better if those dreams translated to reality.

After her bath, as Melia dressed for the day, her thoughts drifted away from the amorous to the stressful. It had been three days since the Scepter had gone missing. She needed to find it if she were to reclaim any semblance of public favor before the Ceremony. Frowning, Melia tied her hair up in her bun, half hoping Camar would tell her he had discovered its location.

If he isn't already aware. Remember, he could be the enemy.

Stepping out of her bedroom into the sitting room, the High Entia cast her eyes over the Grandfather clock in the far corner. Was it only seven in the morning? She still had an hour and a half until she needed to leave for the Cabinet meeting. Enough time to have breakfast. Which reminded her of the previous morning with Dunban. Her body sighed at the memory of the two of them eating together, speaking of their childhoods, sneaking glances and sharing smiles.

She was turning into a lovesick school girl.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Melia went to the door to her apartment and opened it. James stood at his post, unmoving. Elrich was nowhere in sight.

"Excuse me, James."

James turned his head to look at her. "Good morning, Empress. Are you leaving early?"

"No, I wanted to ask if you and Elrich would like to join me for breakfast. Where is Elrich?"

"He went to his quarters. He should be back shortly."

James and Elrich took shifts during the nighttime, to get sleep and recharge for the coming day. Elrich had the first shift, James the second, which meant he was most likely in need of a cup of coffee. Badly.

"Alright. He'll join us when he returns." Melia headed to the kitchen without waiting for a response. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Empress, I should really be outside." James said, his arms crossed over his chest as he followed her into the kitchen.

"And why is that?" Melia asked as she opened the coldbox and began pulling out necessary ingredients to make coffee and scrambled eggs.

"Someone should be at the door to stop potential intruders. And to greet potential guests."

She didn't look up from mixing the coffee grounds; she could feel the small smirk in the sentence. But Melia would not rise to the bait.

"You believe the only way to ensure my safety is to stand at the door?"

"Yes."

"But you are here with me. So if anyone should come through that door with a sinister agenda, you will be here to protect me."

"You know that's not the same, Empress."

"James, it's very early in the morning. I sincerely doubt anyone is going to attempt to assassinate me before breakfast."

"You never know."

The Empress tried a different tactic. "It's been so long since we enjoyed a meal together." She recalled the last time they'd had breakfast together was...right before Dunban arrived in Alcamoth, almost two months ago. How time had flown by. "Eggs?"

James glared at her for a moment before sighing and shrugging. "Yes, your Majesty."

The slam of a door and a pair of footsteps brought James to stand at the ready, his hand on his hilt. Elrich rounded the corner, hair wet and clothes wrinkled.

"What's wrong, Elrich?"

The High Entia said nothing but proferred a white piece of paper.

Melia blanched. Another letter from the Soothsayer.

She took it and turned it over to the page filled with text. Her eyes scanned the letter, taking in the words "resigned", "collapse", "faithless", and "abandonment". The Soothsayer had found out about both Jarrack and Miriall resigning. And now he or she was calling for her impeachment. Because if her own Cabinet didn't support her, why should she still be in power?

Her heart thudded in her chest, and she moved to sit, grasping the countertop for support. Did it even matter if she found the Scepter anymore? The Soothsayer was systematically ripping her reputation to shreds and destroying every ounce of credibility she had carefully created over the past ten months. Hot tears collected in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

No, she would not give up. Not yet. Even if that's all she wanted to do. She owed it to herself and her people to see the restoration through to the end, whenever that would be.

Smoothing nonexistant creases in her shirt, Melia looked up at James and Elrich and forced a smile. "Breakfast?"

They nodded, uncertain.

"Please. It would make me happy for us to sit and actually talk."

James nodded and Elrich grunted, taking seats at the kitchen island. Melia nodded and began to make eggs, coercing them into conversation. Soon, they began to talk, avoiding subjects related to the saboteur and soothsayer. Elrich offered laconic criticism of the People's Council members and James made jokes, bringing out the laughter that had hidden itself away in the depths of her soul. And so they found comfort in each other, all the time knowing that what lay beyond the door was a world seeking to tear her down.

As the Cabinet meeting closed, Melia readied herself to meet Mayor Laden. After her discussion with Dunban the previous evening, she had decided what exactly she wanted from the Mayor of Colony 9. But as she moved to leave the Chamber, she was intercepted by none other than Camar.

"Empress." His sharp, demanding voice was uniquely recognizable as he strode over to her, blocking the exit.

"Yes, Camar?" She asked politely, folding her hands in front of her. Melia already knew this conversation would try her nerves.

He looked around, checking to see if anyone was listening, before continuing, "The tests worked. I will be able to find the Scepter in a matter of days." His voice was filled with pride; he was puffing out his chest in triumph.

"That is...wonderful news." She said, her voice even.

"I thought you would be more excited. This is exactly what you wanted."

Melia noticed his appearance of confusion and slight anger. She readied herself for a possible tantrum.

"Truly, I am. I just cannot get my hopes up until I have the Scepter in my hands, you see. It will only be when I can physically hold the Scepter that I may feel secure in regaining the public's favor."

"You are absolutely right." He nodded, taking a step closer to her. Too close for comfort. "I will deliver it to you. You can be sure of that, Empress. I will start the program running tonight, and we should have its location in the next few days."

"Thank you, Camar. I greatly appreciate your diligence in this matter."

He beamed, leaning closer to her.

"I think it's good work. I'd be happy to take you through it. Why not tonight?"

"Another time, Camar. I must meet with Mayor Laden of Colony 9 now, and I am assuming that afterward I will need to ready quite a bit of paperwork."

Truthfully, she wanted to see Dunban that evening.

"Sorting out this business with the Homs man? I am eager to see you demand his compliance." The Homs Entia man sneered.

"Not quite. Middle ground must be found. But there is much that they must make reparations for." She tucked her hands in her pockets and continued, "Thank you for updating me on your progress, Camar. I look forward to hearing from you if you are able to discover the location of the Scepter."

Unsatisfied with that answer, Camar gave her a small bow. "I will let you know as soon as I have an answer for you." Then he turned and departed, to her relief.

She waited for him to leave the room before turning to her assistant, who was reviewing the notes from the Cabinet meeting in the corner of the room. "Serenity."

"Your Majesty?" She looked up and hurried over.

"Please find her. Have her meet me after my meeting with Mayor Laden in the Western Sitting Room."

Serenity nodded and quickly departed the room, leaving Melia to her thoughts.

Minutes later, she sat down in the East Sitting Room, waiting for Mayor Laden to appear. Tea had been served, and he was nowhere to be seen though it was five minutes past their meeting time. She wondered if he were coming. Maybe she had scared him. Maybe he was planning on going to war. Maybe this whole thing was about to explode in her face. If only she had kept her anger in, then she would not have to worry about such things.

She knew the truth: the High Entia could not afford to go to war. Not at the moment at least. Not when their society was fractured among ethnic lines as well as political ones.

Then, the door opened and she heard rushing foot steps behind her.

"I'm so so so sorry, your Grace." Laden muttered as he parked himself on the sofa across from her. His hair was mussed, and his tie was askew. In a word, he looked flustered and agitated.

"No problem, Mayor. Is everything alright?" She asked primly, sipping on her tea.

"Yes, yes quite alright."

"If you would like to take a moment..."

"No, there is no need." He cleared his throat and continued, "Empress, I hope you will accept my deepest apologies. It was terrible, what I said during our last meeting. In no way did I mean to slight the situation, disrespect the lives of those you lost. It was poor judgement on my end and I would hope you take that into consideration before making any decisions regarding possible reconciliation between our two states."

She watched him blankly over the rim of her cup. He was rattled. Of course, she had threatened him with war. Most likely a war that could lead to Colony 9's annihilation. There was something satisfying about the moment: watching this bigoted man grovel at her feet. For a moment, she savored the fear in his eyes. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. She had few of those these days. But she couldn't let it last too long. The Empress had things to take care of aside from this international relations matter, and could not linger.

"The sentiment is greatly appreciated. I too must apologize for my behavior at our last meeting. I allowed my personal feelings to cloud my better judgement."

"Not at all. The fault was all mine, Empress."

"Let's get down to business. This is what I propose." Taking a sip of her tea, she said, "In addition to the public apology and public condemnation of interracial violence, I would like our two states to sign an accord regarding future hate crimes. If any of your people perpetrate a hate crime against a High Entia, I want them to be turned over to our government. And the action will be reciprocated. How does that sound?"

Mayor Laden sat in thought. "Well, if it happens in Colony 9, we must lay out our own punishment first."

"Perhaps it may become a joint jurisdictional crime."

He nodded. "We can agree to that."

"Good. Then we have ourselves an agreement." She stuck out her hand.

He took it, a look of relief on his face. "Absolutely your Highness."

"I don't particularly enjoy being summoned." Tyrea said as Melia entered the Western Sitting Room.

The Empress jumped upon hearing her voice, and spun around. "I don't particularly like being surprised as such."

"Serves you right."

"How else do I get in touch with you?" Melia questioned, taking a seat on the sofa.

"A signal in the sky?" Tyrea sat down on the opposite sofa, then pulled her legs up and propped them up on a throw pillow, to Melia's dismay.

The Empress pursed her lips but said nothing about the shoes on the cushion. "Very funny."

"To what do I owe this private audience with the Empress?"

"I need you to watch Camar. To follow him for the next few days. Watch his every movement."

"Do you think it's him? Your saboteur?"

"Much of the evidence, despite it being circumstantial, points to him. This morning, he said he might be able to locate the Scepter in the next few days."

"That is quite the development."

"If he has the Scepter, he will retrieve it from its hiding spot, and put it in a place where he will 'miraculously' find it. At least, that's what I believe he will do. If that is his plan, I want to have proof."

"Not a problem. Do I confront him if I find that he does have it?"

Melia bit her lip. That was a good question. If Tyrea did confront him, catch him the act, Melia would be able to make a public example out of him. However, if she were to do so, that would alert his partner, if that were Miriall, to hide all of the evidence. "No, I don't think so. I don't want him to know that we know, if it is him. That way, we can see if he leads us to his partner, and then can strategically plan how to confront the two of them."

"I think I've rubbed off on you."

"How so?"

"I didn't think you were so sneaky."

Melia arched an eyebrow. "Sneaky?" That was one word she would never use to describe herself.

"Yes. Creating strategies. Moving in the shadows. Don't feel bad; personally, I'm glad you're adapting."

Melia didn't respond, instead fixing Tyrea with a skeptical gaze. She knew Tyrea was trying to provoke her. To what end, she did not know. But the Empress was too tired to play games. Now, she needed to begin drafting a treaty to present Mayor Laden with in the next few days. He was planning on returning to Colony 9 later that evening and would be back to ratify the document in a few days.

"Anyway, what's going on with you and Dunban?" Tyrea asked, interrupting Melia's thoughts.

Melia felt her body tense. "What do you mean?"

"I saw him leaving a certain secret passage last night around nine."

"And? We've had late evening meetings before."

"So he was with you." Tyrea smirked.

"We were discussing the situation with Colony 9.

" Sure. But something else happened. I can see it in your eyes." The High Entia woman sat up, swinging her legs back to the ground.

"What are you speaking of? There is nothing different about my eyes."

"Fine. Suit yourself."

"There is nothing to say." The Empress said, indifferently.

"Did he kiss you?"

"No!"

"But you want him to."

Melia looked away, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks. Of course she did, but she wouldn't say that out loud. It would sound too silly. Too vulnerable. Her eyes darted to the window, avoiding Tyrea's interrogating gaze.

And that's when she saw it.

A gray trail of smoke spiraling upward into the sky. Her eyes widened in alarm.

What is that?

A cold dread slid over her back as she stood and walked over to the window, placing her body against the glass in an effort to see more. It was coming from the landing dock.

"Melia?" Tyrea said cautiously.

But the Empress didn't respond.

Maybe there was a systems malfunction of some equipment. Perhaps one of the lighting towers suffered from an exploding fuse.

But she knew that made no sense. Those things wouldn't generate that amount of smoke, if any. It had to be a shuttle. Did a shuttle crash? Who were flying shuttles? Her mind reeled, trying to remember the flight schedule. The shuttle from the Highlands wasn't scheduled to return until early evening. Shalen would be going out to the Lighthouse in the evening. All that left was...

Shulk and Fiora.

Melia ran. She burst out of the room, her feet carrying her as fast as possible. There were shouts behind her as she tore through the Great Hall, but she ignored them. She had to get to the landing bay. Her lungs heaved as she pushed herself faster, through the corridors and towards the landing bay, cursing that her wings were not long enough to enable her to fly. Were they okay? Had they been hurt? Panic ran through her body as she raced forward, ignoring the people she glided by and the curious looks they gave her.

As she stepped out onto the tarmac, her vision became hazy. Smoke billowed in the wind as she halted at the entrance. The shuttle had crashed onto the landing bay. It's nose completely crushed in the impact; the hull had been ripped open. Flames danced over the body of the craft; she could feel the tendrils of heat from her position many feet away.

Then someone crawled out of the hull. She recognized the dirty blond head: it was Shulk. Her heart thumped as Melia raced over, closing the distance of many feet in a matter of seconds. She grasped his arms, pulling him to his feet. "Shulk? Shulk! Are you alright?"

He coughed and wheezed. His clothes were covered in soot and dirt; his eyes glassy from shock. Her eyes widened as she watched him sway on his feet. Grunting, his hands went to his left hip: blood began to trickle down his body from the injury.

"Fiora's...still inside."

Horror covered Melia's face as she looked into the burning cockpit. Inside, between the smoke, she could barely make out the body of her friend.

"MELIA!" A voice called towards the entrance to the Grand Hall. It was Dunban, with James and Elrich. He began to run over to where they stood.

But there was no time. The chopper could explode at any moment.

She had to get Fiora out.

Touching her palms together, she imagined a stream of water crashing through her and cried, "Element Discharge!" A gush of water flew through the air, cutting through the smoke and fire, creating a tunnel towards Fiora. Melia jumped in, knowing she only had seconds before the ether spell collapsed on itself. The High Entia wrapped her right arm around her friend's torso, and put Fiora's arm around her shoulder, holding with her left hand. Melia shouted, "Fiora! Can you hear me?" But the Homs was unconscious, a trickle of blood running down the side of her head. Grunting, Melia leaned Fiora onto her hip and struggled out of the helicopter. Step by step, she dragged herself and her friend towards the opening in the hull. The heat became intense; the spell had collapsed. Sweat trickled down Melia's forehead as she moved forward.

One more step.

Grunting, Melia used the strength in her legs to push forward, stumbling out of the shuttle. They pitched forward, landing on the pavement on their feet. Limping, Melia took a few steps away from the shuttle with Fiora still on her hip, relieved.

The crack of an explosion was heard behind her, and Melia could feel a massive force push her forward and fall to her knees. Fiery pain seared her back and she screamed.

Then everything went black.

The first thing Melia noticed was the horrible headache. Blaring pain hammered in her forehead as she slowly opened her eyes. As her eyes focused on the white and blue pastel walls, her brain registered where she had seen them before. The clinic. Two faces came into view, filling her vision: James and Elrich.

"Empress." James said. His brown eyes conveyed relief.

"What happened?" She said, groggily.

"What do you remember?"

Slowly, the High Entia pushed her mind to dredge up the memories. It was difficult, as if she were digging for a needle in a haystack. Determinedly, she dug her fingers in and pulled out the fractured recollections.

"The shuttle...it crashed then exploded up...I helped Shulk. Did I go in for Fiora?" Her head protested as she dug for the memory. Melia winced in pain.

James nodded. "When you got out of the shuttle, it exploded. And you were hit."

As she shifted in the bed, she felt the cotton of a bandage wrapped around her abdomen. As she took a deep breath, she fell into a fit of coughing. Her lungs felt worn, and tired. There was a tingling sensation on her back. Discomfort spasmed in her muscles. "That would be appropriate considering how I feel."

"Why didn't you wait for us?" Elrich snapped, his eyes full of anger.

"What are you talking about?"

"If you had waited, I could've gone in to get her. Not you."

"There was no time, Elrich."

"What happened if you died? What then?" He flung his arms out in frustration.

"It had to be done. She's my friend." Melia narrowed her eyes. Despite the aching pain pulsating through her body, the woman was cognizant enough to know that she would not be made to feel bad about her decision to save Fiora.

"For a leader, sometimes you have no self-awareness of how your actions effect others." Elrich stalked off, passing behind the curtain that separated her from the rest of the clinic floor, from the watchful and curious eyes of passerbys.

"Wait, Elrich!" She said, but he was gone. Melia bit her lip as a wave of guilt broke in her heart. Perhaps Elrich was right. It had been a rash decision.

"Just let him be. He needs to go cool off anyway." James said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't mean any harm."

"No, we know. I think what you did was admirable, Empress. But please understand where he's coming from."

The Empress nodded, silent.

"Neither of us want to lose you. Especially when it could've been us protecting you."

A lump grew in her throat at his words. It hadn't occurred to her what would happen if she had not made it out. All she had thought was to save Fiora. To save her friend.

She managed to say without her voice wavering, "How is Fiora?"

"She's alright. She hasn't regained consciousness yet due to asphyxiation from the smoke. Her burns were like yours: the severity was just enough for the healers to fix without causing permanent damage. However, they will still take a few days to fully heal."

"What about her head wound?"

"Minor concussion, but nothing serious. The healers bandaged it up."

The Homs Entia tried to sit up and hissed in pain, her back protesting.

"You need to rest too. Don't think about getting back to work tonight." James said, his tone serious.

She knew better than to argue, but she would not allow herself to fall behind on work. Soon as James was gone, she would locate a pen and paper and get to work on drafting a treaty.

"How long was I out for?"

"Five hours, give or take." If she calculated accurately, it was approximately eight or nine in the evening. Not too late. If she were diligent, she could probably complete a draft in four or five hours as well.

"How is Shulk?"

"He's better than both you and Fiora. We pulled him away after you got to him. Just a bit of smoke in the lungs and a minor cut to the side. The healers stitched that up pretty quickly. He's with Fiora now."

"Good." It seemed both of her friends were alright despite the accident. How could it have happened? She'd discuss with Kiefer to do maintenance checks on all the remaining shuttles to make sure this type of incident would not happen again.

A hand pulled the blue curtain back, and Dunban came into view. His eyes looked blank as he met hers. The lump in her throat resurfaced; had she hurt him as well?

"I'm going to go find Elrich. I'll be back in a little bit." He nodded at Dunban and left, disappearing behind the curtain. Now they were alone.

Dunban maintained his distance at the foot of her bed. Would he not come closer? "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She lied. "A little pain, but nothing unmanageable. How is Fiora?"

"She'll be alright. She woke up a few minutes ago. A little dazed but otherwise all there."

Melia sighed in relief. "That's good to hear."

They fell silent for a moment. What could she say? Was he angry that she had gone into the shuttle to rescue Fiora? Surely not. It was his sister. But why was he so distant then? Why did he look at her so emotionlessly? Her heart longed for him to come closer, but the ask would not fall from her lips.

Instead, the woman changed the subject: "Do we know what happened to the shuttle? Why it crashed?"

"Kiefer came by an hour ago after doing an inspection of the wreckage. There is evidence of sabotage."

Her stomach twisted into a knot. Anxiety overflowed her senses and she felt her brain start to slow down.

This is why he was distant.

He didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore.

"It seems that whoever sent me that note was making good on his threat." Dunban said, his lips creased into a line.

The pain, the guilt, the anxiety all came crashing down, overwhelming the fractured wall of control she had developed. Tears stung her eyes as she clasped her hands together and intertwined her fingers to keep herself from fidgeting. She would not allow herself to cry. No, she would not. Especially in front of him. Straining to keep her voice calm, she said, "I'm so sorry, Dunban. This is all my fault. If you hadn't come here, none of this would have happened."

"Don't say that."

"But it's true. I asked you to walk into this crazy world. I should never have burdened you with any of this."

With haste, the man reached her bedside and sat in the chair next to the bed. He offered her his right hand. Hesitantly, Melia took it, her vision blurry. A single tear streamed down her cheek, and she wished it away, angry it had ignored her inner declarations and fallen. Gently, Dunban brushed it away with his thumb and left his hand there, cupping her cheek in his hand.

"This is not your fault. We know exactly whose fault it is, and it is not yours. Fiora and I made a choice to stay and help you. That doesn't mean I'm not angry, but I do not blame you. Not at all." His voice was low, the undercurrent of rage apparent in the slight tremble of his voice.

Closing her eyes, the woman leaned into his hand, feeling its warmth on her cheek. Her heart ached; despite his words, she still felt responsible for his pain. She placed her free hand over his that held her cheek. "What can I do?"

"You can focus on getting better."

"But–"

"Don't push it, Melia. You're too stubborn sometimes."

Her eyes fluttered and her heart hammered in her chest. "You're angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you."

"Yes, you are. I can hear it in your voice."

"You're mistaken." He growled.

"Then what is it?"

He stared at her; she could see him forming a response in his mind. Between the pain in her head and the butterflies in her stomach, she felt overpowered. The waiting was unbearable as adrenaline spiked in her veins and flooded her senses, only worsening her anxiety.

"You scared me." His voice was quiet, just above a whisper. His eyes were no longer cold. Now, they were warm, inviting, and...distressed. The gaze yanked at her heart strings.

"W-what?"

"I can't be mad at you, Melia. You saved my baby sister." He gave her a sad smile before continuing, "But watching you get into that burning shuttle...I could've lost you and Fiora."

The lump in her throat grew, blocking any words that she wanted to say. She didn't know what was worse. Angering him or scaring him. Both created emotional scarring. Never had she wanted to see him hurt. Nor to be the cause of such pain Looking at him now, torn, all Melia wanted to do was hold him in her arms. But she couldn't. She had not earned that.

"I'm so sorry, Dunban."

He shook his head.

"Just, try not to do that again."

Melia nodded.

He began to remove his hand from her cheek but she put pressure on it, keeping it there. Their eyes met, a wordless exchange happening between them. Dunban moved his seat from the chair to the edge of the bed, so that his body was right next to hers. He brought his other hand to the opposite cheek, so now he held her face in both hands, and she placed her empty hand over his.

They leaned closer to each other, their faces meeting in the middle. They stayed there, forehead to forehead, eyes closed, breathing silently. She could feel his energy, in the ether; strong and and steady. Comforting. All she wanted to do was take away his pain. Tilting her head up, Melia touched her nose to his in a silent gesture of affection. The intimate gesture was reciprocated, as he leaned into her, touching is nose to hers.

Her lips parted and could feel him leaning closer to her. Her heart fluttered with anticipation.

The sound of murmurs reached her ears and her eyes shot open, as did Dunban's. Her eyes darted to the noises, and saw James attempting to sneak back out of the sealed off area. Frustrated, she closed her eyes. She would need to have a word with James about his interruptions.

Melia turned her attention back to Dunban, who looked annoyed as well. "My bodyguard appears to have the worst timing."

"So it appears."

They sat in silence for a moment. Melia was unsure of what to say. The intimate moment gone, feelings bared under the harsh fluorescent light, it was difficult to find their way back to conversation.

He patted her hand. "Get some rest." As he rose from the bed, he smiled at her. A smile that made her weak in the knees. "Goodnight Melia. Sleep well."

"You as well, Dunban."

He turned and left the space, once again leaving her wanting more.

Frustrated, the Homs Entia flopped backward onto her pillow, instantly regretting it as pain exploded in her back. She groaned, both at the physical pain and the interruption earlier. It seemed fate had different plans for her and Dunban. But Melia was sick of waiting.

It looked as though she would have to take the matter into her own hands.