Chapter 69

Cyrus POV

"Um, Dad, care to explain this? What does she mean by you left her for Mom?"

"Well, you see, Cy… before I met your mother, Lady Arya was one of my classmates at the academy. We got along well and were really good friends back then," my father said, stumbling over his words.

"Don't downplay it, Ezra. I was your girlfriend. At one point, we were actually set to be betrothed. The clans saw how two heirs of opposing families got along and how fond they were of each other, so they tried to unite the clans and make the continent whole again."

"Yeah… so much for that," my father muttered.

"I'm sorry for that, Ezra. I had no control over the situation. I was young and had no say," Lady Arya apologized.

"Can you two stop being so vague and just say it already?" I interjected, raising my voice.

"Remember the war I told you about? The one that took place before you were born? The one I fought in against the Slytharion clan?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well… that war was started by Arya's uncle. He was the one who attacked neighboring cities and towns, trying to expand their control over the physical realm. The whole betrothal was a setup—to get us to lower our guard and defenses. Ever since that day, I felt like I could never trust Arya or her family again. It was hard to walk away from that."

I saw Lady Arya's face grimace at my father's words. The truth he spoke hit hard, digging into a place only she knew existed.

"I know it's been years… a decade, even, since we last spoke. But I want you to know that everything we had was real. Even to this day, you were someone I could never stop thinking about. I took no husband and bore no children—I knew the one who was meant for me. But fate has a cruel way of treating us, doesn't it, Ezra?" Arya said as tears welled up in her emerald eyes. "When I heard the news of what happened in Arthenos to you and your family, I rushed over there as soon as I got word. But when I arrived, my worst fears were confirmed. When I saw the wreckage… I thought you were dead."

A long silence followed after Lady Arya poured her heart out to my father. I could see the struggle on both of their faces as they searched for the right words to say to each other.

"Well, maybe when we leave this place and get off this continent, you two can catch up," I said, breaking the silence. "It was nice to meet you, Lady Arya."

"I'm sorry, Cyrus, but I can't let you leave just yet. The threat is too great for these guards and volunteers to handle alone. I was hoping for stronger Starbound to volunteer back in the plaza, but… Ezra, with your help, we can end this quickly and keep casualties to a minimum. Plus, I need someone capable to guard me while I tend to Malakar's seal."

Without waiting for my father to respond—who was still standing in stunned silence—I interjected, "Yeah, so… we're still going to leave. We have a schedule to stick to. We already had one major detour recently, and we don't have time for another. You seem strong, Lady Arya—I'm sure you can manage."

"Ezra, please, I'm begging you. Yggvalk has been corrupted and is guarding the seal," Arya pleaded.

My father's eyes widened as that name hung in the air between us.

"Who is Yggvalk?" I asked.

"It's the most powerful guardian of the Celestial Grove. It is believed to be immortal… and unable to be destroyed."

"Oh… I understand the situation now," I muttered.

"If you help me with this one thing, I have something to offer you in return."

"Like what?" my father asked.

"I found the coordinates of an ancient Astral relic that belonged to the Solaris clan. I discovered it in my uncle's safe years ago. I wanted to bring it to you back then, but it didn't feel right, knowing you had a family. But think of it as a way for our clans to rebuild a fractured relationship."

"Fine. How much time do you need to restore the seal, Arya?" my father finally responded.

"Dad, seriously? We don't have time. And if her people have wronged us in the past, you really want to take that chance again? Didn't Adam teach us enough?" I argued.

"Wait—you saw Adam? What happened? What did he do?" Arya asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now. It's a sore spot for us," my father answered.

"He betrayed us and killed a lot of people," I said sharply. "So, excuse me if I'm not very trusting of strangers, Lady Arya. These past couple of years haven't exactly put the people of this continent in the best light."

"Hopefully, I can be the one to start changing that for you, Prince Cyrus." Arya sighed. "Why don't you come back to the camp? It's late. I have more information regarding the operation that I withheld earlier, and I'd rather not discuss it out here in the open." She turned and started walking back toward the camp.

"Why didn't you tell the others about Yggvalk being corrupted? Don't you think they should know?" my father asked as he gestured for me to follow. Begrudgingly, I complied.

"I had no intention of letting them face the immortal guardian. I was always going to ask you," Arya admitted. "Ezra, we spent a long time together—did you really think I wouldn't recognize your signature, no matter how much you tried to conceal it?" She turned slightly, offering a faint smile. "How do you think you got into the plaza without any pushback? I ordered the guards to leave the gate once I sensed you enter our territory. Plus, I needed a way to confirm it was really you… without blowing your cover. I figured if you went to such lengths to stay hidden, there was a reason for it."

I saw my father let out a faint smile at her response.

"You really are an interesting woman… forcing my hand to help you deal with a cult and an ancient Starbound just so you could see me."

"I mean, we used to do things like this all the time once we graduated from the academy—so why not?" Arya chuckled as she led us back to camp.