As they reached the entrance to Rodh, the capital, the crowd descended upon them.
Word had spread in the capital that the expedition group had returned, and that they had succeeded. Whatever they had found in the lost reaches of Paititi, it was enough to fill the empire's hollow coffers and secure its future. The people did not know the details, but they knew enough that this will greatly increase the livelihood of the people.
They threw flowers. Petals rained down like colorful snow—red and yellow and white, drifting through the air and landing on the travelers' shoulders, their horses' manes, the cobblestones beneath their hooves. Cheers erupted from every direction. Children waved tiny flags.
Fifi and Drobar basked in the attention.
They waved. They smiled from cheek to cheek. Drobar puffed out his chest and acknowledged the crowd with the broad, sweeping gestures of a man who had definitely, absolutely, single-handedly found all that gold. Fifi blew kisses to a group of young women who promptly burst into giggles.
Levain rode quietly, nodding politely at the cheers. Osmond kept his eyes forward, unmoved by the spectacle.
Rhea rode behind Kaiser in the procession, and behind her, on the same horse, sat Ayumu.
Ayumu pulled her hood low over her face.
The light gray fabric shadowed her features, hiding her from the cheering masses. She was not used to the attention, the praise, the eyes of so many people all looking at her at once. It made her skin prickle.
But there was another reason she kept her face hidden.
At the top of the long staircase, the grand marble steps that led to the palace entrance—stood a figure.
Visil.
The emperor. Who is also her adopted brother.
His arms were crossed over his chest. His face was serious—not angry. Maybe not yet. His dark eyes swept over the approaching procession, scanning each face, each figure, until they found the one he was looking for.
Ayumu felt his gaze like a physical weight. Even with her hood down, even with her face hidden, she could feel the pressure of his stare. She began to sweat.
"Rhea…" she whispered, her voice small and shaky. "Umm, I think I should dismount the horse and run away first. Brother looks displeased…"
Rhea glanced back at her, one eyebrow raised. "Would that not make things worse, Ayumu?"
Ayumu paused. "…You are right."
She wilted—literally slumped behind Rhea, her forehead pressing against her friend's back, as if she could make herself invisible through sheer will. Waiting for her fate. Waiting to be scolded by the emperor.
Levain leaned over slightly, his voice low and reassuring. "Do not worry, Lady Ayumu. We will explain your contributions to the emperor. Plus, you came back unharmed…" He hesitated. "Well… somewhat unharmed."
Fifi snorted from his horse. "She was close to death three times. Best to leave that out, or we will all be in trouble."
Ayumu whimpered softly.
All this talk made her more worried, not less. Her golden eyes, barely visible beneath her hood, darted toward Kaiser.
He was on horseback ahead of her, his back straight, his red eyes fixed on the palace steps. He had not turned around.
But Ayumu looked at him anyway. She did not say anything. She simply hoped and prayed that Kaiser would back her up in her time of need.
Little did she know, Kaiser was also anticipating being mauled by the emperor.
He is certain that Visil would wrongly accuse him of influencing her, of encouraging her, of somehow being responsible for her disappearance. Never mind that Ayumu had acted entirely on her own. Never mind that Kaiser had tried, multiple times, to send her back. In the emperor's eyes, this black magis would be guilty.
Soon, they reached the foot of the staircase.
The crowd's cheers faded into respectful silence as the group dismounted. The men bowed—deep, formal, their arms crossed over their chests. The women curtsied.
Kaiser spoke first, his voice clear and steady.
"Your Majesty, we are successful in our endeavors. May what we have found be of great aid to the empire."
Visil did not respond immediately.
His dark eyes scanned each and every one of them and then his eyes landed on Ayumu.
She stood at the back, her hood still up, her hands clasped in front of her. She was trying to be invisible.
It was not working.
The emperor's stare bore into her. Then Visil spoke.
"You have all done well," he said, his voice carrying across the courtyard. "The empire will be in good hands with your contributions from your expedition. And you will be rewarded in due time."
He paused.
"We will continue this discussion in my other office."
Another pause.
"…Since my main office is destroyed."
All of them flinched.
As they had expected, the gold did reach the emperor's office. But it had caused him great damage.
----------------------------------------
They went to the emperor's second office which is to be a temporary one that was hastily arranged after the destruction of his main workspace.
The place was cluttered.
Piles of parchment sat on every available surface. Maps were pinned to walls that had never been designed for them. A single window, furniture was mismatched most likely borrowed from various rooms throughout the palace.
It did not look like an office fit for a great emperor.
Visil settled behind a modest wooden desk, his presence alone lending the room a gravity its furnishings could not provide.
He did not wait for them to speak first.
"I know you are all tired," he said, his dark eyes sweeping across the group. "But before I dismiss you to rest, I need to tell you that the gold was… well… received." A pause. "It was, to say the least, very unexpected."
They all gulped.
Visil continued. "But nevertheless, the amount of gold we counted will flourish the nation for generations. It will be put to good use. It is now in the treasury—the balance that remains after subtracting the great debts we owe, which did not even affect the amount in the very least."
He looked back at them—really looked, his stern expression softening just a fraction.
"You have done a great deal for this empire. I, as the emperor, thank you on behalf of the people as well." He straightened in his chair. "You will each be rewarded with higher positions and a share of the wealth, accordingly. Details will be discussed at a later time." He paused. "You are all dismissed."
A collective exhale. They were about to take a step back to leave the room, before Visil spoke again.
"Except for Ayumu."
Ayumu flinched as if struck.
Her head snapped up. Her hood was still drawn, but her golden eyes were visible and fixed on her brother.
Visil's voice dropped, like the edge of a blade being drawn from its sheath.
"I am sure you know what you did wrong, Royal Advisor. Lady Ayumu Velmiar." He leaned forward, his knuckles pressing white against the wooden desk. "How dare you leave behind a mop in your place? And with just a note? Against my order as the emperor of this empire?!" His dark eyes bored into hers. "Are your brother's feelings and care a game to you, Ayumu?"
Ayumu winced.
Being scolded by her brother, basically being scolded in general, was a rare thing for Ayumu. Each word landed like a small stone, each one heavier than the last.
Visil's voice grew stern, brooking no argument.
"You shall be placed under house arrest in the palace for one month."
Ayumu gaped. Her golden eyes wide with disbelief.
"But—but Your Majesty," she stammered, stepping forward despite every instinct that told her to stay still. "I have made my contributions to this expedition. I hope that you might make an exception for my rudeness in leaving without your consent…"
Visil's eyes narrowed to slits.
"For any more words you utter after this," he said slowly, "I will add one day for each word."
Ayumu gasped again.
Her hand flew to her chest. Her eyes widened further.
One month.
She was not the type who could stay cooped up and still for even a single day. She needed to move, to walk, to feel the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. The palace walls would suffocate her. A month of house arrest would be the death of her—perhaps not literally, but close enough to taste.
Her golden eyes swept across her friends.
Help me. A desperate plea.
She looked at Rhea. Rhea's expression was pained but she gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head.
I cannot.
She looked at Drobar. He scratched the back of his neck, his gaze sliding away from hers.
Sorry.
She looked at Fifi. He suddenly became very interested with the ceiling, his glowing tattoos dimming with embarrassment.
Don't look at me.
She looked at Levain and Osmond. They offered a sympathetic shrug, eyes soft with regret.
There is nothing we can do.
Then her eyes landed on Kaiser.
He stood at the edge of the group, his red eyes fixed on her. He held her gaze for a long moment and understood.
Then he opened his mouth—
"None of you," Visil interrupted, his voice cutting through the room like a scythe, "can say anything to make me change my mind."
Kaiser's mouth closed back.
Visil's voice softened—only slightly, only for a moment.
"I am sure you all have suffered a great deal on this journey because of her. I will not ask about it in detail—not yet, that is. But this is her punishment." He leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes sweeping across the group. "I am sure you all agree… she needs to be disciplined to a certain degree for her… eccentric behaviour."
The group fell silent.
And one by one, they remembered.
The sudden appearance and disappearance. The peeping tom. The disregard of orders. The lightning that had split the sky. The cliff. The crumbling rock beneath her fingers. The flood. Her befriending the Djinn. Ayumu close to death. Not once. Not twice. Three times.
They looked at each other and then, slowly, they nodded in unison.
Ayumu watched them betray her with their silent agreement.
Her mouth fell open. Her shoulders drooped. She looked like a flower wilting under a harsh sun—fading into something small and sorrowful.
Betrayed by her friends...