After the War's End

Chapter 1

Aloy woke up suddenly, as if from a horrible nightmare, opening her eyes wide and instinctively gasping for air, as if she had been submerged in water for a long time and needed to breathe. As she did this, she felt a discomfort in her ribs. Her head hurt, her vision was blurry, and when she tried to sit up, she felt pain all over her body. She groaned just before realizing there was no weight on her body, which meant she wasn't wearing her armor. She was exhausted and disoriented. Despite not wearing her armor, her body felt heavy and numb. Numerous flashbacks of the battles she had fought in the last few months jumbled in her mind: fire, explosions, the sophisticated facilities of the Zenith, ferocious machines, the GEMINI cauldron, death... One thought crossed her mind. She remembered the battle and its end, happy even though the most complicated part was yet to come, but in her mind, there came a moment when all memories became confusing. The Zenith! They must have captured her, and now she would be on her way to who knows where! She let out another grunt and fearfully brought her hand to her ear. She let out a muffled scream when she saw there was nothing there. "Aloy!" a male voice startled her. She tried to look around, but she couldn't focus on anything. She complained, feeling dizzy, and threw her head back, closing her eyes. The person was against the light, and the brightness dazzled her. She heard footsteps approaching her. Anxious, she tried to see who it was, expecting to defend herself from an attack. Her vision was starting to recover its quality. She looked around, confirming that someone was approaching her. "You've awakened!" But all she could see was a blurry figure.

"Give me back my things, you damn thief!" she said in a tough and relentless tone. She couldn't show any trace of fear; it would be turned against her. "Were you working for Tilda? Are you trying to follow her wishes?" As the blur with a human silhouette got closer, she tried to sit up, raising her arms in a defensive position. A warm and gentle hand grasped her shoulder and gently laid her back down. She instantly recognized who it was.

"Aloy, I-I'm... Avad, no... I don't know who you're talking about." said the Sun-King, trying to infuse calmness, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. Even without her armor and weapons, she looked threatening "Calm down, everything is okay. I'm not going to hurt you." he said, sounding a bit scared by her reaction.

"A-Avad? Where am I? And my Focus? My weapons? Where are my things?" she asked, confused, trying to locate all her belongings.

"Everything you brought is here, including... that artifact you always carry." he said, referring to the focus "You're safe, and all your belongings are secure." she sighed, somewhat relieved but no less confused "By the Sun, Aloy, you have no idea how glad I am to see you're okay!" the monarch exclaimed, enveloping her in a brief, strong hug "I was so worried..." the Nora, not expecting him to react that way, didn't know how to respond, remaining still as she felt the blush accumulate on her cheeks. That hug caused a duality of sensations; on one hand, it made her uncomfortable, but at the same time, she felt very comfortable in his arms. Moreover, how could he... smell so good? Aloy took a deep breath, filling her lungs with Avad's pleasant aroma. As quickly as the king had embraced her, he pulled away, clearing his throat "I apologize, I was... very worried because you weren't waking up." he expressed, looking down. Why had he done that? That action had been more than inappropriate according to protocol. She gave him a genuine and compassionate smile.

"What happened? Are we in... Meridian?" she asked, not understanding how she ended up there, her vision now fully restored.

"Yes, we're in Meridian, in my palace." Avad began to explain. "One night, I was here, working in the palace, when suddenly my guards startled me, saying they found you unconscious near the south gate of the city. They said there was nothing around, just your bow a couple of meters away from you, as if you had fallen. Besides, it was raining quite heavily, so they brought you in, and we removed your armor and treated your wounds. Then I changed your clothes to something more comfortable. Since there was nothing available for you, I looked for something among my things, so you're wearing one of the outfits I usually wear to sleep." he said, indicating his white tunic with short sleeves and side openings, embroidered with gold on the hems, and loose trousers of the same color. He wasn't wearing his crown, and his dark hair was exposed, which she saw for the first time. Then she glanced around. Now she could see where she was. She was lying on a huge bed, much larger than any she had ever seen, covered up to her chest with white sheets adorned with golden and red embroidery, and an orange blanket at her feet. It wasn't until that moment that she realized how comfortable she felt. On either side, next to the wall, were several light-colored wooden cabinets with golden details, just like the headboard of the bed.