Light from the Shadow

Chapter 47

The next morning, Rishi was preparing himself to leave Remblan for Solbaru.

"What is that?" Ayna who had come to his room to have breakfast with him, ran to the window when she heard the commotion outside.

"Ah... Lord Remwar made me bring those." Rishi said. He was not sure about his new job. He was an emperor by title but lately he felt he was being treated more as a teacher and a delivery man.

Ayna turned to him. "Again? I thought we have told him we are doing fine here." Carriages full of produce were being carried into the palace. Rishi shrugged his shoulders. "It's a small appreciation for saving his only daughter."

"Ah... How is Ares lately?" Ayna asked. She looked concerned.

"Still the same as before. She is back in her parents' house but she doesn't go out much. Spending most of her time in her room alone."

After Helten left the empire to live in exile, no one had heard anything from him.

"I see... the court still won't reveal anything about his whereabouts?"

Rishi sighed. "Nothing. Not even to me, the emperor."

Ayna frowned.

"What are you thinking now?" Rishi asked as he led her to the dining table.

She stopped. "Hey, can you bring me to Solbaru with you?"

***

A maid showed the emperor and his companion to a hall. Ayna recognized the sitting room. It was where Lord Remwar had received her months ago.

"I will inform Her Lady... umm..." The maid looked nervous. Lady Ares had not stepped out of her room for weeks.

"It's alright. Please just tell her that there is someone who can help her." Rishi told her.

The maid nodded and quickly disappeared to the back.

Rishi turned to Ayna. "Are you sure you want to do this? That guy tried to kill us."

"I know, but when I thought about Ares... I just cannot leave her be. She is your friend too! Shouldn't you help her?"

Rishi sighed. "I guess I can't change your mind." He held her hand. "Well, given his situation now, I don't think he can do anything to us."

They heard footsteps coming closer to the hall. Moments later, Ares showed up. Ayna almost could not recognize the former princess consort. She looked so pale and thin. Her flaming red eyes had lost their sparks.

"Princess Ares..." Ayna called her unconsciously.

Ares giggled weakly. "I'm no longer a princess, Your Highness."

Ayna got up and took Ares' thin hands. They looked like they could break if she gripped them tighter.

"Thank you for coming to see me but I'm doing fine." Ares smiled.

"You are nowhere doing fine, Ares." Rishi said.

"Taya..." She called his name.

"Why are you torturing yourself like this? You are still young! You should forget about Helten and start a new life! After all the things he had done, he is not worth your loyalty..." Rishi said in frustration.

"Stop that, Rishi." Ayna interrupted.

"I know... everybody has been telling me. That we are divorced. That I need to forget about him. That Remwar can finally be free from Tehra's hands." Her tears started dropping to the floor. "But I can't... my heart hurts every time I think about him. I can't just forget about him without hearing the truth from him. Why didn't he bring me with him? Why did he leave me here alone? I was his wife! I want him to come and tell me himself. I don't want a paper telling me Helten didn't want me anymore..." Ares was crying. That was the first time she poured all her heart out in months.

"Oh... Ares..." Ayna hugged her and Ares wailed in her arms.

"I want to see him but nobody can tell me where he is." She continued to sob.

Ayna pulled herself away and smiled at Ares. "I think I can help you with that."

"I can find him with these?" Ares asked with a sense of wonder.

They had moved to Ares' private room so they can talk more privately.

"I heard about magi from my father before but this is the first time I actually see it." Ares continued to watch Ayna in awe.

"We are actually not allowed to use it without informing the king so let's keep this a secret." Ayna remembered how the case with Ares' miraculous recovery had made Jyaga almost lose his knight rank and position as the captain of the royal knights if not for her father's swift intervention and explanation that the poor knight was doing it on the king's behalf.

"Here." Ayna passed her a pair of earrings. "I have the scientists in Remblan made them for me. Told them I'm using it for hunting rabbits." She laughed. "With this, you will be able to hear things from far distance. Voices will travel clearer to you. You just need to wait until someone talks about it inside the court. I'm sure they will bring out the topic about Helten sooner or later."

"Did a royal princess just suggest illegal eavesdropping? I don't know what to say." Rishi shook his head.

"If you don't have better ways, you should just shut up." Ayna frowned.

Rishi shoved Ares a stack of books. "I took these out from the royal archive. There are records of places where exiles had been kept. You may find them useful."

Ayna snorted. "You are no better than me. Aren't books from the palace not allowed to be taken out?"

"An emperor can do whatever he likes with his books."

"Whatever you say." Ayna shrugged her shoulders.

Ares laughed at the two. It had been a while since she last laughed like this. She went to hug her two friends. "Thank you, you two."

Ayna smiled at her. "Take care, Ares. I'm sure the wind will guide you to find him."