Avad woke up at dawn, feeling the first rays of daylight on his eyelids. He heard Aloy's soft breathing as she slept peacefully, leaning on his chest, embracing him. One hand was extended, resting on one of his pectorals, and the other, with the wrist near the monarch's armpit, hugged him, gently holding the back of his shoulder. He blushed as he looked at her relaxed expression, with closed eyelids and a slight smile on one corner of her lips. Unclasping the fingers he had crossed on her back, hugging her, he placed his hands on the Tallneck's metal base to sit up slightly, enough to see the sunrise without waking her. The large machine continued to move among the trees. The Sun-King watched as the lush treetops passed by. A gentle breeze brushed his face, bringing the scent of the forest. He took a deep breath, filling his chest with the pleasant smells around him. The soft wind also carried the sweet scent of the huntress. He gently stroked her red mane while watching the orange circle of the sun appear between the mountains. He looked at it, thanking for these wonderful days he was living and wishing for prosperity, not only in his reign but especially in his personal life. He remained in meditation for several minutes, grateful that one of his greatest dreams had finally come true. After that, he affectionately caressed the young woman's face and woke her up.

"Good morning, Aloy." he said, smiling. She started to stretch while grumbling.

"Good... morning." she replied, opening her eyes and meeting the tender gaze of the monarch. The sunrise tinted the surroundings orange, illuminating everything its rays touched. The Nora finished sitting up to look at the landscape. They spent several minutes enjoying the spectacular view.

"Well, I guess we should start packing up." she said, starting to fold the blanket they had slept on, thinking that he probably had urgent work at the palace.

"Yes." he replied, putting on the Sun-King ornaments he had removed to sleep. "Marad will be waiting for me." Quickly, both finished getting ready to leave. The only thing left was the most complicated part: getting down from the Tallneck. The monarch swallowed hard before asking, "H-how do we get down from here?"

"Do you see that over there?" the huntress said, pointing to the handhold for rappelling. "We'll attach a rope and descend using it, but don't worry, you'll be tied to me in case you slip. You won't fall to the ground. Don't worry, you won't fall, but if, for any reason, the rope slips, I'll be there holding you."

"Okay." he sighed, not entirely convinced. "We have to go down, so the sooner we do it, the better." Then, Aloy tied the rope to the Tallneck's yellow projection and invited Avad to go down first.

If something went wrong, it was easier to hold him if he was below rather than above his head. Since the previous night, they had already tied their waists with a rope, so she just had to untie it from where she had fastened it at night. Avad began to descend, scared but with a bit more conviction than when he had climbed the day before. She descended holding on tightly, not because she was afraid, but because she needed to be prepared in case the monarch fell. He breathed a sigh of relief when he touched the ground. He turned happily to the huntress just to see how, when she was a few meters above the ground, she jumped off the rope and landed doing a somersault in the air.

"You did it!" she congratulated him enthusiastically, hugging him.

"Well, looks like I'll have to do this more often." he laughed, hugging her back. She smiled at him and called the mount while they untangled themselves. The galloping machine that had brought them the previous evening to that peaceful place appeared swiftly.

"Uh, be careful" Aloy warned, pulling the monarch into some bushes.

"A... longleg." he pointed out, watching as the machine looked around with yellow lights and approached where they had hidden. Avad rubbed his hand that was still healing. When he dismounted the machine, he had strained the injured fingers a bit.

"Trust me." Aloy said, grabbing his hand. "There won't be a fight if you do what I say, but I have to distract it before it activates its radar and locates us instantly." Avad nodded, squeezing her hand uncertainly. "When I say 'now,' you get on the galloper as fast as you can," she ordered. The Sun-King nodded, getting ready to take action. She did a countdown, "Three... two... one... Now," and instantly threw a stone in the distance to distract the longleg. The monarch came out of his hiding place, running toward the mount, and got on it a bit fearful. Seconds later, the huntress mounted it agilely in front of him and galloped away as soon as he grabbed her waist. They rode at high speed toward the city. She knew she was safe, but Avad still seemed scared. He held on tightly to her, pressing his body against the huntress's back.

"Hey, Avad." she called, slowing down, placing her hand on his arm. "There's no danger now, don't worry." The monarch sighed.

"Okay... yes, you're right... I still feel a lot of fear when I'm near any machine." he admitted timidly. Then, Aloy stopped the galloper and asked, "It's not much longer to Meridian. Do you want to drive it to the city?" Avad smiled at her proposal.

"Yes, I'd really like that."

"Well, let's go." he replied, switching their positions on the mount "Take it at your own pace, don't worry." the Sun-King started the machine gently, and they began to ride slowly "And... don't be ashamed of fearing the machines." she whispered sweetly in his ear "Everything will come in due time."

The king smiled, touched, and slightly accelerated the machine's trot until they reached the city. There, they dismounted and continued on foot to the palace.

"I'm hungry." Avad laughed when they arrived.

"Me too." Aloy affirmed. "I'll go down to the dining hall to see what I can have for breakfast. I suppose... you'll be busy, right?"

"Yes... I would love to spend the rest of the day with you, but I have to attend to my duties..." he responded, rolling his eyes.

"Don't worry, after all... you must have a lot of work." she replied, adjusting the neckline of the monarch's attire.

"Yes..." he paused. "I want to finish this... but Itamen still needs to grow."

"You'll see how everything happens quickly," she responded, taking the king's hands. "You're investing all your effort in these projects, and I understand that you're tired, but thanks to you, hundreds of people have stopped dying unjustly at the hands of those murderers. Soon, you'll get rid of that burden and ease it for when Itamen rules." She added, holding Avad's face. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned in for a kiss.

"Thanks for the encouragement." he whispered close to her mouth. Aloy lowered her gaze from his eyes to his lips and tenderly caressed his cheek while giving him a sweet smile.

"Avad!" the Blameless interrupted, calling him from a distance. Aloy cleared her throat, and the couple separated instantly.

"Well..." she said shyly. "I'm going to... go down to the dining hall for some breakfast."

"See you later." the king said, briefly resting a hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him and quickly left the area.

"And?" the Intachable asked, raising his eyebrows and approaching the king as Aloy had distanced herself enough. The monarch followed her with his gaze.

"Um... don't worry."

"But... How did it go?" the Sun-King couldn't help but have a wide smile on his face.

"Well, I mean... uh... very well" she replied, blushing.

"Come on, come on, tell me everything." Marad said, hurrying to go to the king's office. As soon as they arrived, the counselor closed the door and asked, "Did you tell her?" Avad nodded proudly that he had finally confessed everything he felt. "You told her!"

"Uh…" he sighed as if he were on cloud nine "It's been the best night of my life."

"Oh, really?" Marad asked with a suggestive tone of voice and a look.

"Marad! No!" he exclaimed embarrassed, noticeably blushing as he crossed his arms, heading to the door ready to leave the room.

"It was a joke! Don't get mad, I'll shut up, but tell me, is she going to stay?"

"No... not exactly... She told me about a new threat, one that comes from beyond the sky, that will sweep away everything in its path. The purpose of her life is to ensure that we all survive, and I would never come between her and her duty, but she told me that when it's over, she'll come back to my side."

"But Avad... We don't know how long it will take…"

"I don't care, I just want to know that she'll return when everything is over, and that we can be happy together…" Marad placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm glad she'll come back once everything is finished, my friend, and above all, I'm glad to see you so happy again." the Sun-King smiled.

"Thank you... Now, when she leaves, I will wait with the certainty that... sooner or later, she will return... to me."

"Just... let me advise you on something... Be careful. You two are among the most influential people there are... Just like us, I think you should keep your relationship strictly formal in the eyes of the people, at least for now." he commented seriously "Seeing how things are, I think it's the safest for both of you, but it's just a suggestion; you know that the final decision is always yours."

"You're right... I think it will be the best."