A Walk with Eternity-Chapter 49: Seven years

Flipping pages and placing down her fountain pen, the siren empress lets out a sigh of relief. She had just finished her workload for the day. She had been working for ten hours straight. The preparation for the festival has been going on for a few days now, and she has been stuck at her desk for the past few days, dealing with needed paperwork.

Leaning back on her chair, she finally noticed how dark it’s become at the corner of her eyes.

It’s late now... Should I just get some sleep? She thought to herself, resting her eyes closed. Her body relaxed for a moment, but her sensitive ears heard footsteps making their way to her study.

Just then, a knock was heard.

"Your Majesty, it’s me."

It was her aide, Dame Hildegard Knox. The empress thinks she’s quite impressive. She hasn’t been replaced for about three weeks now.

Vian seems to like her... Rue thought to herself and rose from her seat. She must be such an obedient dog...

"Come in," she says, loud enough for the other side to hear.

The door was pushed open, revealing her somewhat tired aide. This confused the empress, she came to an assumption that it must have something to do with the delegation of Slora that arrived today.

"Your Majesty, all seven people from the delegation are currently resting in their own rooms. We’ve only come now as they wanted to look around for their first day," Dame Knox reported. "We prepared and cleaned the rooms near your chambers as you ordered."

When the empress heard that number of people, she raised a brow.

"Seven? From which families?" She asks. Dame Knox expected that question and stated all the families without hesitation.

"Slora Imperial Family, Bane, Knightdale, Cortland, Roseblood, Redridge—"

"What?" Dame Knox was interrupted by the empress herself. From her expression, she seems surprised beyond words.

Hearing all familiar last names, she was frozen in her spot.

Is it Luna, Cim, and Ly...? Kian, Mil, and Ezio together are surprising enough... but the other three families...? How? They’ve reunited...? Her hands were shaking, she can feel her heart beat, getting louder with each passing second, as if it was right next to her ear.

"Luna is unreachable, Cim is in a comatose state, and Ly and Darian... I don’t know. I really don’t know what happened to them now..."

She could recall Nilsine’s words, explaining the entire situation of the chain of events after she had left. This whole line-up of people should have been impossible. The empress shakes off that thought, trying to calm her beating heart.

Yes... maybe it’s their parents... surely it’s their parents.

Rue was in a state of denial, she couldn’t fully grasp how it could have been possible...

Completely shaken, she tried to gain back her composure.

I have to calm down... Vian will notice my emotions...

It was a good thing Vian was within the Palace Walls at the moment, she took a week off due to unforeseen circumstances and unexplainable things that happened down in her hometown.

Thank god they’re in rooms near mine...

She was glad to have taken precautions in case Vian decides to interfere with her business again. The empress turns back to her aide, who seems to be concerned after seeing her empress nearly break down for a moment.

"Proceed as scheduled, I will take a breather for a while. You may leave."

The aide nodded hesitantly in response. She bows and exits the room.

Rue sat back in her chair, thinking of how she’ll deal with meeting her friends again. She wonders to herself...

After seven years of mental suffering, can I face them completely without a hint of guilt...?

Another two hours have passed, and it was time for dinner and her audience with the Slora delegation. She stood at the closed door, heaving a deep breath. She can feel their presence from the other wall. They were already here.

Rue was restless this whole time, she could barely even think properly. She realized late that she could have just asked the names of the people within the delegation. And now that she thinks about it again...

Who is the seventh family that has come?

"Open the door," she ordered to the knight guards that are currently guarding the dining area.

It felt as if the world slowed down for a moment while the door opened before her. She stepped inside with her head down, refusing to see them from outside the room. Just when the door closed behind her, she felt her heart skipping a beat. She hasn’t even seen them yet, but her heart just won’t calm down.

Rue lifted up her gaze to the people within the room, and she saw them.

All the familiar faces that she had both expected and not.

Kian, Milera, and Ezio, with Dolunay, Lysander and Cimmerian. They were together.

All six of them were here, looking at her with calm expressions, yet she could feel it in their eyes that they were somewhat shaken upon her presence, especially the ladies. There was a long silence as she observed each one of them, and their eyes remained focused on her.

They’ve... all grown up, she thought to herself. Memories came flashing in her mind within seconds.

She was with them for merely four years before she left to rebuild her empire. Those four years, however, were the best part of her life. All of them are now more mature and different from the last time she saw all of them.

She tries to hold in the mixed feelings she is currently feeling, before she could lose composure, she heard footsteps from outside again.

Kian rose from his seat and gave her a bow of respect. The other five followed as well.

"Greetings to the High Moon of the Oceans," Kian greeted with a monotonous voice, making Rue swallow in her emotions. "We thank you for welcoming us warmly."

"At ease," Rue’s voice nearly broke, just then the door opened once again, revealing her servants in the kitchen with the dishes to be served. She walked to her seat, which was at the very edge of the table. On her right was Kian, Dolunay, and Lysander, and on her left was Cimmerian, Milera, and Ezio.

They all relaxed now somewhat.

As the empress sat down, they sat down as well. An awkward silence reigns over them as the foods were being served.

However, Rue couldn’t take it.

"How was your trip? It must have been tiring, yet you still chose to look around first," she asks them. "I apologize for only meeting you now, work has been taking up most of my time."

"We wouldn’t dare disturb your working hours, Your Majesty," Cimmerian was the one who spoke up this time. Something about him changed. He’s grown a lot taller and a lot paler. "Other than the orc army delaying our time of rest, we have been enjoying most of it."

How formal of him... Rue couldn’t dismiss his formal tone. From what I heard, he was still asleep... How many days has it been since he woke up? She thought to herself. She then raised a brow at his statement.

"Orc army? You came across an army of orcs before you arrived at the City of Shells?"

Rue was surprised. There had barely been any attacks reported to her for the past few weeks, but yesterday, they were seen in one group, attacking the delegation.

"Yes, we all suspected it to be an ambush of some sort, but there was no physical evidence of it," Dolunay answered with a calm tone. Out of all six of them, she was the one who changed the most.

"Dolunay became a faerie, she was under Heins for the longest time..."

If she’s here, she’s escaped from Heins, like Nilsine did... right?

"I see..." Rue trails off. The servants were done placing down the dishes, plates, and utensils.

"Please call for us if you need anything more, Your Majesty. Please enjoy your meal," the kitchen head chef bowed towards them.

"Thank you, you may leave."

The servants left the room leaving only seven of them there.

"Please, eat. I’m sure it’s been tiring for the day," she gestured towards the food.

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

The whole thirty minutes of eating went on silently. As awkward as it is, none of them could even talk.

This is suffocating, Lysander thought to himself as he placed down the napkin he used to wipe his lips.

So awkward... Ezio did his best to swallow his food, because the tension and silence was eating him alive instead.

She won’t ask us how we’ve been for the past seven years... Dolunay was close to crashing out, but she held in her emotions elegantly.

Is all nothing to her now? Kian thought to himself, checking up on Dolunay who was obviously doing her best to not explode in emotions.

Ah... I can’t even break the silence... Cimmerian tried to think of a way to break the ice. This can’t go on any longer.

This just feels off... Milera thought as she tried to keep a relaxed expression.

"Now that I think of it..." All of them nearly flinched at the sound of her voice. "I remember my aide saying that there were seven of you in the delegation, where is the other one?"

"About that..." Kian trailed off.

He’s dead asleep, right when we actually need him, they all thought.

Syvestian was sleeping soundly in his room. Unaware of his friends’ cursing him in their minds.

"He couldn’t sleep last night, that’s why he’s quite tired."

That idiot deity!