Chapter 11: Reunion

Within the interior of the building, a large staircase stands in the middle of the lobby which branches upwards into the second floor. In the middle of the stairs a red carpet is layed out.

The guard enters the building as both his and Alecia's footsteps can be heard echoing throughout the large open space of the lobby. The cream colored ceiling is covered in paintings, and glyphs.

"I'm alright, you don't-" Alecia said only to start coughing once more as she walks up the stairs with him. Only for her to lean on the railing of the stairs and let's out a final cough.

"You're not okay, miss." He said, with a compassionate look on his face as he holds her up.

"Come on." He gently moves her up the stairs.

Moments go by...

Alecia and the guard is seen walking through a wide open hallway. Benches stand along the sides of the walls and between the large pillars.

She looks up at the passing paintings on the walls.

Most are only paintings of forests and rivers, with one of them being a painting of a waterfall. She looks ahead of herself once more with a nervous kook on her face.

"Here it is miss." The guard said, opening the one door.

"The empress is waiting for you." He gestures for her to go inside.

Alecia looks at him with a calmer look on her face, only for her to step inside the room as the door closes from behind her.

She stares ahead to see the empress closing the balcony doors with her daughter standing beside her.

The young girl looks Alecia's way, followed by her mother, Ruth, the empress.

"Greetings, miss." The young girl said, bowing her head slightly.

Ruth, takes off the hood over her head, and walks towards the small table with a jug of water and a glass. She pours water I the glass and walks to Alecia.

"I must apologise for bringing you here, your cough sounded bad." Ruth said with a calming tone in her voice. Alecia has her face turned away for a moment until Ruth stands before her.

"Here, drink." She said, gesturing the glass to her.

"It will help a bit."

Alecia turns her head to face her, and takes the glass of water while averting her gaze.

"Thank you." She said, and takes a sip.

Ruth takes the glass away from her, only to place it on a nearby table and smiles gently as she gazes at her, only for her smile to fade with her eyes widening. She steps back with a gasp.

"By Angelica, is it really you?" She said stepping towards her.

Alecia looks at her with a neutral look on her face.

"Ruth." She said with a twitch of a smile.

"It's been a while." She gives a downcast look.

"Lumina." Ruth said, looking over her shoulder at her.

"Please excuse us."

"Alright, mother." Lumina said, and walks through the other door of the room.

Ruth let's a joyful sigh before hugging Alecia tightly.

"Alecia, it's really you." She said with a stuttering tone as tears start to fall down her cheeks.

"I thought you were dead."

"Ruth." Alecia said, closing her eyes, with her arms tightening around Ruth.

"I am so sorry."

Ruth breaks away from her hug and holds both her hands.

"But..." she said, with a thoughtful gaze.

"Sylas, told me you were dead, killed in action?" She looks up at her with a puzzled look on her face.

Alecia sighs with a downcast look

"Silas...." she said with a calm tone.

"He's the reason for me being away for so long."

Ruth slightly widens her eyes.

"What do you mean?" She said with a confused look on her face.

Moments later...

"What a manipulative lier." Ruth said with an angry tone in her voice as both her and Alecia are seen seated on the cream-colored, leather-couch.

"And to think I actually trusted him all these years."

Ruth has her eyes averted with a resentful look in her eyes. She looks at Alecia once more only for her eyes to soften.

"And there I was wondering why your hair is like that, it wasn't because of some personal taste." She smiles gently.

"Do you want to dye it back to its original color?"

"Oh, uhmm." Alecia said, looking down with her eyes flickering in thought.

"I think I'll keep it this color." She looks up at her sister.

"If you wish." She said, smiling slightly.

"As long as you-" She is interrupted by a knock at her room's door.

"Yes!?" She called out with her head slightly turned.

"Sorry to disturb you, your majesty." a man's voice is muffled through the door.

"You may speak!" Ruth said with a calm tone in her voice.

"Thank you." He said.

"The crowd of people, what should I tell them?"

"Just tell them to enjoy themselves." She said.

"I will attend to them shortly."

"As you wish, your majesty." He said, followed by footsteps muffling away.

"So..." Ruth said after a moment, and looks at Alecia.

"You said, you arrived here with Aven and his sister?"

Alecia downcasts her eyes.

"Yes." She said, with a nod.

"I only saw the two of them." Ruth said, slightly frowning.

"Yet, you weren't even there with them?"

Alecia looks at her with a nervous expression.

"Ruth... I-"

Ruth narrows her eyes.

"Three months ago when he returned ftom that planet, he came to me, and you know what he told me, Alecia?"

Alecia closes her eyes with a sigh.

"What?" She said opening them her eyes once more while keeping her gaze down.

"Aven told me your death was confirmed." Ruth said.

"He said, he never found your body."

She pauses while staring at her for a moment.

"Please look at me when I'm speaking to you."

Alecia slowly looks up at her.

"Why did he lie, to tell me news that would cause me grief a second time?"

"Ruth... I-"

"Was being selfish." Ruth interrupted her.

"Just like you've always been." her frown worsens.

"After everything that has happened to you, you still haven't changed your ways." Ruth's expression turns to a saddened look, only for her to stand up from her seat, followed by Alecia.

"I didn't want to hurt you." Alecia said with saddened gaze.

"I was just too afraid, too afraid to face you." She has a downcast look.

"When I heard that you were now in rule, I thought that I would be in your way if I returned to you."

"Be that as it may." Ruth said, with a calm look now.

"You still fed me a lie through him."

Alecia looks up at her with a frustrated and yet, saddened expression n her face.

"Ruth, I..." she said averting her gaze.

"I didn't have a choice."

Ruth adjusts herself on her seat.

"What would have kept you from revealing yourself?" She said, narrowing her gaze.

"There was nothing stopping you."

Alecia stands up from the couch and takes a few steps forward and gently crosses her arms while having a downcast look on her face.

"So much has happened back on that planet, I left the few people I befriended." She pauses for a moment while her eyes flicker.

"Coming back here after so long." She looks ahead and sighs.

"So much has changed, that it scared me."

"What have you been doing for the past three months then?" Ruth said, with a frownful look.

Alecia turns around to face her. She slowly meets her gaze

"The only place I knew that I could go to, was the temple of Angelica."

"All this time you've been there?" Ruth said with a slight wide-eyed look.

"You didn't even bother to at least tell me you're alive at least. I would have given you a place to live."

Alecia looks at her with a saddened gaze.

"As I said before," She said.

"I felt lost, I felt like I was in a completely different world once again. I had no choice but to turn to goddess, Angelica."

Alecia averts her gaze.

"I just didn't want to be in your way." She said.

"Please understand, Ruth." She looks at her with a pleading gaze.

Ruth stares up at her with a calm gaze for a moment, only for her to sigh.

"Alright." She said standing up from her seat and stands before her.

Alecia gets a slap across the face. She quickly raises her hand to cover the one side of her face with her hand slightly shaking. She slowly turns her gaze to Ruth with a wide-eyed look.

"I warned you, and pleaded with you, not to go there. I asked for you to keep away from that group of yours, didn't I?" She said with a calm tone, her lips slightly trembling, as her eyes start to water.

"But no... I don't know anything."

Alecia slowly lowers her hand with her eyes giving a downcast look as they start to tear up as well.

"You never grew up, your selfishness never went. You were arrogant, and spiteful all throughout the years." on her cheek, a black tear slowly streams down.

"You know what you have done, that really hurt me?"

Alecia looks up at her as her own tear streams down her one cheek.

"Mother has always wished for us to be closer. Whenever I tried to be close with you, you always pushed me away at every turn. Not even her absence helped with that, only now, after three months of being on your home planet, you decided to finally be here."

Ruth shakes her head slightly with her face now drenched in her own tears.

"You may as well have not even come back in the first place..." she turns away from her and places the hood over her head, and takes out a cloth from her pocket and wipes her face.

"I'm sorry about what Sylas did to you." She looks over her shoulder at Alecia.

"I will be sure to deal with him." She looks ahead and starts walking towards the balcony doors.

"Ruth, please wait!" Alecia said with her hand gesturing out to her, which urges her to stand and look at her.

"During my time serving in the temple." She gives a downcast look.

"I was trying to find the courage to ask for your forgiveness, and even then, it was hard to get to you." She looks up at her.

"I don't know if this fixes what I've done but please, as your sister, I ask your forgiveness."

Ruth stares at her for a moment, on for her to look down with her eyes flickering in thought.

She looks up at her only to take out her cloth and gestures it to her.

"Here..." she said holding it with two fingers.

"Wipe your face."

Alecia's eyes slowly widens only to take it with hesitation and wipes her face clean.

"Get some rest, Alecia " She smiles slightly, and opens the balcony doors, only to walk out.

Alecia looks down at the cloth for a moment, and slowly turns her gaze to the bed within the room.