Aloy wakes up in Meridian alongside the Sun-King Avad, not knowing how her got there. Together, they will experience adventures and emotions that will form strong bonds between these characters.
🧭 This story takes place after Horizon Forbidden West...
On that morning, when they woke up, Aloy suggested going for a ride on a Strider, with their own Striders. Although his fear of these machines had notably decreased, the idea of going alone on one still made him uneasy, but Avad accepted. Many houses had already been completely repaired, and although there was still a lot of work to be done, they had decided to take a day of rest to avoid overexerting themselves after two weeks of non-stop activity and everything that had happened. Even though the king had hardly left his bed during that time, his advisor had been working with him in his chambers during his recovery. He had received many visits from Vanasha and Itamen, and Erend often came by to report on the progress of the investigation into all those who had allied with the Eclipse and the Shadow Carja. During this time, Aloy was actively helping with the repairs and spending as much time as she could with Avad. She found his company truly enjoyable. They both wanted to spend more time together, and when they were together, the hours flew by. The Sun-King had almost no physical marks left from the abuse he had suffered, so it was hard to tell what he had been through, except for his right hand, which was still bandaged to allow his bones to heal, and his left arm, which was still protected by bandages since the cut had been quite serious. Under his shirt, you could barely see the bruise mark left by the kick that had almost broken his ribs, and he felt almost no discomfort when breathing.
They left the palace early, right after breakfast, and headed to the usual Strider spot. One of these machines, the one they had sabotaged together some time ago, was roaming the southern part of the city, but they would need a second mount, so they approached the group that was usually grazing peacefully. When they were close to one of them, Aloy intervened:
"Do you want me to get one for you?" Aloy asked, giving him a chance in case he still preferred to ride together.
"Okay, fine, I'll wait here..." he replied, visibly nervous.
Aloy slipped into some bushes that helped her stay out of the Striders' sight. Then, in the blink of an eye, she returned mounted on one of them next to the king. After scaring away the rest of the machines, she reminded him how to handle the mount. He laboriously climbed onto the Strider's back.
"Okay, now you have to hit it on the belly, but don't do it too hard, or it will start to gallop."
"Understood," he replied, hitting it gently. The machine started to walk, startling Avad, who clung tightly to its back. Without Aloy in front of him, everything felt much more unstable.
"That's the way to do it!" she encouraged him. "I'll go get my Strider; you go on ahead." Aloy whistled, attracting her Strider, which had been circling Meridian, and, with a leap, she mounted it on the move, reaching the king within seconds. "How are you doing?" she asked, concerned about his comfort.
"Much better than I expected." he admitted. She smiled as she saw him happy. She had never felt so good with anyone, except Rost, before...
"Is everything okay?" the Sun-King asked, seeing the sudden change in Aloy's expression.
"Yes, yes..." Aloy answered "I was just thinking about... my things..."
"You can tell me what's on your mind if it makes you feel better. You can trust me."
"I trust you completely," she said, looking into his eyes "but it's not the right time yet..."
"Okay, don't feel pressured." he replied with a friendly smile. They rode slowly around the area. Although he was making great progress, he still didn't look entirely comfortable riding alone on his own Strider. Therefore, she decided to return earlier than he had initially planned. She knew the effort it took for him to ride due to his fear of machines, and it would be better not to strain his body, which was still in the process of healing.
Aloy later asked him, "Are you busy this afternoon?"
"Yes, I have to attend to some of my citizens. They need resources, food... the disaster in the cornfields was a heavy blow to food production. People are worried, and many of them need food."
"Yes, it's important that they feel at ease... Do you think we can meet sometime before nightfall?" Aloy asked mysteriously.
"Yes, I'll have finished my duties by then." he replied, intrigued.
"Perfect." she replied with a joyful smile. "Do you remember the plan we postponed the day we sabotaged that Strider together? I didn't tell you what it was, but I had something in mind."
"Yes, I remember," Avad said, "the same one you mentioned when you were healing me after... the incident in the Sun Ring."
"That's right, that plan. I think you're ready; you're going to love it." she told him.
"I'll be eagerly waiting for the moment," he said, gazing into her eyes. She gave him a beautiful smile.
"How are your climbing skills?" she wanted to know.
"I manage, more or less, but I don't want to force my broken hand."
"Alright, I'll bring the right equipment. Don't worry, you won't have any trouble with your fingers," she said, taking his bandaged hand. "See you at the elevator." She added before they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Aloy spent her time preparing for the plan, as Meridian's sunsets were known for being magnificent and magical, and she knew the perfect place to watch it. Avad, on the other hand, went off to attend to his duties as the Sun-King, calling Marad and constantly thinking about Aloy. He had been so persistent about this plan, indicating how important it was to her. If she was going to show him something personal, it would be the perfect time for him to open up and do the same.
"What's going on?" Marad asked when he arrived.
"When I'm finished attending to the citizens, we need to talk about something important."
"Is it what I think it is?" he asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes," he replied, a bit embarrassed "today is the day."
"Great!" Marad said, leaving the room quickly. "I'll see you later."
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