Since Arvid hadn't returned even after the sun began its inevitable journey back toward the western end of the world, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, I finally decided to send one of my maids to check on his condition and whereabouts.
She returned with a brief report: he had eaten breakfast early this morning, she informed me, but after that initial meal he had sent back his untouched lunch and had deliberately shut himself away with his higher-ranking military officers in the barracks' strategy room. He hadn't emerged from that closed-door meeting since, now for many hours.
So I made the decision to visit him myself, to ensure he was taking care of himself and not working himself into exhaustion. I had my small personal kitchen staff prepare some light, easily digestible food along with a pot of good quality tea, then I departed from the Rose Palace with three of my personal maids accompanying me for propriety's sake.
On the way to the military barracks, walking along the palace paths, I unexpectedly saw two familiar figures. Gautham was walking side by side with Rahu, the young seer and sculptor from the North. Rahu appeared to have his arms completely full, struggling slightly under the weight of several large architectural scrolls. Gautham himself was carrying what appeared to be Rahu's substantial tool kit for sculpting work balanced on his broad shoulder, helping ease his companion's burden.
They were engaged in lively, animated conversation, periodically looking at each other with unmistakably love-filled eyes that spoke of deep affection and connection. The sight warmed my heart.
I was genuinely happy to see some familiar faces in this still-unfamiliar southern place where everything felt foreign and new. My first instinct was to call out to them, to approach and ask how they had been settling into life in Arpa, whether they were adjusting well to the dramatic change in culture and climate.
But then I remembered something that made me hesitate. I recalled how that young seer boy Rahu had looked at me with such obvious terror back in days, because his gift allowed him to see something about me that others couldn't perceive—something that had frightened him deeply. Given that reaction, I decided it would be better not to approach them uninvited. I should just let them be and continue enjoying their time together.
Besides, I could see clearly just by observing them that they both looked plenty happy and well-adapted to this new place. They were thriving here. What would be the point of formally asking about their wellbeing when I could see the evidence so plainly right in front of me?
But as it turned out, they were the ones who noticed me first anyway. Once they registered my presence, their eyes widened simultaneously in recognition and surprise. They immediately altered their course and came over to properly greet me, as protocol demanded.
I noticed that Rahu still looked quite noticeably scared and nervous in my presence—his hands trembled slightly and he wouldn't meet my eyes directly. But importantly, he wasn't nearly as intensely repulsed or terrified as he had been during our previous encounter. That was definite progress. He positioned himself carefully behind Gautham, clearly seeking safety and comfort under his partner's protective shadow.
"We greet Your Majesty the Empress!" Gautham announced formally, greeting me with considerably more elaborate respect and ceremony than I had ever expected from him. Back when I had known him in Gorei, he had been quite refreshingly nonchalant about social status and hierarchy. When he had served as combat instructor training both Katherine and myself, he had been a demanding, harsh teacher who didn't think twice about loudly calling out our mistakes regardless of my royal blood. This dramatic change in his demeanor and character was quite unlike the man I remembered, and it felt wrong somehow.
"Please be at ease," I told him quite honestly, trying to bridge the sudden formal distance between us. "It's not as if we are strangers to each other. We have history together."
Although I intellectually knew that his formal greeting was the socially correct and proper way to address an empress, the emotional and social distance that such elaborate protocol created bothered me much more than I cared to admit, even to myself.
After Katherine's death, there truly was no one else who had come anywhere close to me emotionally, no one I could be genuinely informal and relaxed with. Although Arvid's extended family had welcomed me warmly into their lives, they were still essentially strangers to me. It would take considerable time to get properly used to them and to get to know them well enough to feel truly comfortable.
And now, even the few people I actually did know from before, people I had shared experiences with, were actively trying to maintain formal distance from me. Even though I understood intellectually that this distancing was inevitable and appropriate given that I now held significant power and rank—people naturally treated those with authority differently—my heart still ached at the emotional isolation.
If Katherine were still alive, I found myself wondering sadly, would things be any different? Would I have at least one person who could treat me normally, as just Rhia rather than as an empress?
Even after my sincere reassurance that they could relax and be less formal, Gautham and Rahu remained visibly uncomfortable and rigidly proper in their posture and speech. I sighed quietly and decided to let the matter go. Pushing further would only make everyone more uncomfortable.
Since they were traveling in the same direction as my small group, I correctly assumed they must be heading toward the barracks just as we were. The road they had been walking only led to that particular destination anyway.
"Were you heading back to the barracks?" I asked them conversationally, studying them with more attention and genuine interest.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Gautham replied, and then he provided a much more elaborate and detailed answer than my simple question had really required. "I have been absolutely swamped with urgent work assignments since last night when the emergency began. His Majesty has been sending me repeatedly to inspect the outermost defensive walls and then report back—I've made that exhausting round trip at least three times now. I only managed to get permission to rest about an hour ago, so I decided to use that brief break to catch a late lunch with this guy right here."
He gestured affectionately toward Rahu. "Now we're heading back to the barracks together. Rahu has been assigned a temporary working room in the barracks for the time being, until a proper permanent room in the Municipal Council building can be prepared and assigned to him after all the necessary preparations are completed."
"A room in the Municipal Council building?" I asked with surprise, turning my attention to the timid boy still standing somewhat behind Gautham's protective bulk, still not quite daring to look at me directly. "Has Arvid already officially assigned you specific work and responsibilities?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," the boy Rahu replied softly, his voice barely above a whisper but audible.
"We are planning to construct a proper Temple dedicated to Rulha in the city of Turga," he explained, his voice growing slightly stronger as he spoke about his work. "I have been tasked with preparing the initial architectural designs and sculptural plans for the temple building."
Then he opened his mouth as if to add something more, but abruptly closed it again without speaking. He looked away from me, clearly still nervous and conflicted about something.
I looked at him with some surprise at his partial statement and hesitation. Well, this interaction was definitely better and less fearful than our last encounter, I thought to myself with some satisfaction. At least he could speak to me now without looking like he might faint from terror. That was genuine progress.
Then the actual context and meaning of his words fully registered and caught my deeper interest. A Temple of Rulha being built here in the South? I wasn't certain if that ancient, temperamental old dragon god would truly appreciate having a southern temple dedicated to him—he had always been associated primarily with the North. But I was confident he certainly wouldn't refuse such an honor either. Dragons had healthy egos, after all.
And this meant that Arvid had been completely true to his words and promises. When he had first casually suggested building a Rulha temple during our earlier conversations, I had honestly thought it was just something he had mentioned on a passing whim, not a serious proposal he actually intended to act upon. It seemed I had been sorely mistaken in that assumption. The realization made me smile genuinely.
"Do your very best work, Rahu," I told him with deliberate tenderness, consciously making my voice as soft and gentle as possible so as not to accidentally frighten or intimidate the nervous boy. "Show these Southern craftsmen exactly what Northern artisans are truly made of, what we're capable of creating."
I added the last part with a playful, encouraging tone, trying to boost his confidence.
He drew a small but genuine smile at those words of encouragement, and I saw his shoulders relax slightly.
After that brief but pleasant exchange, we continued walking toward the barracks together as a group, and I engaged them both in casual conversation. I asked about how they had been managing over the last few days since first entering Arpa, whether they were adjusting to the dramatic differences in culture, climate, and daily life.
I also specifically asked Gautham about his ongoing medical treatment for the serious poison arrow wounds he had received at the Dergu stronghold back in the desert. That had been a close call—he had nearly died from the potent toxins.
He assured me that even though he was still taking regular medication to fully clear the last traces of poison from his system, he was feeling much, much better than he had been. His strength had returned and the pain had faded. He added that the same positive recovery applied to the other soldiers who had also been shot by poisoned arrows—they were all healing well thanks to the antidotes I had provided and subsequent medical care.
After we finally reached the barracks complex together, we bid each other polite goodbyes and prepared to separate, as they were heading to Rahu's temporary workspace while I was going to find Arvid.
But before I could walk away toward the command building, the boy Rahu suddenly turned back. He actually took several steps back toward me, which was surprising given his previous fearful avoidance.
"Your Majesty," he called out to me, his voice carrying obvious anxiety but also, notably, a certain determined tone that hadn't been present before. There was resolve beneath his nervousness.
"Can I... can I please have a formal private audience with you at a later date?" he asked carefully. "I have something important that I need to tell you. Something you should know."
His request hung in the air between us, heavy with unspoken significance.