Chapter 11 : Homecoming of the Emperor
As they walked along the quiet path, Henry glanced at Fenlor and asked,
"Where exactly are we going?"
Fenlor looked toward Rudravaan, who was walking ahead with his usual unreadable calm.
"I don't know," he replied. "He just said we're going to see his people."
Henry stopped for a moment, eyes widening.
"His people? Wait—what's that supposed to mean?"
Fenlor simply shrugged. "That's all he told me."
Henry leaned in slightly, whispering to himself with growing excitement,
"Does he mean what he said that day… about being an emperor?"
His voice faded into the air, but his eyes stayed fixed on Rudravaan—
curiosity burning stronger than ever.
And then Henry suddenly began walking faster, almost breaking into a jog.
Fenlor raised an eyebrow.
"Hey—what happened? Why are you walking so fast?"
Henry didn't answer. He hurried forward until he caught up to Rudravaan, then fell into step just behind him.
"Hey," Henry said, trying to keep his voice steady, "are we going to meet your people? The ones you told me about that day?"
Rudravaan didn't turn around.
He only replied, calm and short as always,
"You'll know when we reach the place."
And so they continued their journey.
They walked for months—resting only to eat, to sleep, and to gather their strength again. Forests, rivers, valleys, storms… they pushed through all of it without stopping for long.
Then one day, as the sun fell low on the horizon, Fenlor pointed ahead.
Far in the distance, they saw it—
rows of shelters stretching across the land, surrounded by sturdy walls and guarded by disciplined soldiers.
Henry's breath caught.
Fenlor stopped walking.
Rudravaan… simply kept moving toward it.
The place he had spoken of was now standing right in front of them.
Fenlor walked beside Rudravaan, studying the distant shelters guarded by soldiers.
"Hey… what is this place?" he asked quietly.
Rudravaan stopped, turned his back toward the vast settlement, and said proudly,
"This is the Southeast Kingdom… and these are my people."
Fenlor's eyes widened.
Henry stood frozen, completely amazed by what he was hearing.
Before either of them could ask another question, a loud, familiar voice shattered the air.
"HEY! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!"
They turned—
It was Morvyn, sprinting toward them with a mix of anger and joy on his face.
The moment he got close, his shout transformed into pure excitement.
"HEY! OUR EMPEROR HAS COME BACK!"
His voice carried through the shelters.
People paused.
Heads turned.
Every soldier snapped to attention.
Within moments, everyone—villagers, fighters, guards—came rushing out, shouting Rudravaan's name, running toward him with relief and happiness.
The entire shelter moved like a wave, surrounding their emperor who had finally returned.
Rudravaan stood there calmly as his people rushed in, surrounding him in a flood of arms and voices. They hugged him tightly—soldiers, elders, children—everyone reaching for the man they had long waited to see again. His expression stayed steady, almost unreadable to an outsider… yet there was no mistaking the pride in his eyes.
For a moment, the fierce emperor looked simply home.
After a long time, Rudravaan laughed—a real laugh, warm and unrestrained.
Fenlor and Henry stood speechless. They had never seen him like this, and they simply couldn't believe the sight in front of them.
After a few moments, Rudravaan finally noticed the two of them standing awkwardly at the edge of the crowd. He lifted his hand and called out,
"Hey—these two are going to live with us now."
Every head turned toward Henry and Fenlor. For a heartbeat, they froze, unsure of what they will say. But then the people exchanged quick glances, and almost as one, they smiled.
"If the Emperor says so, we have nothing to say," someone called out.
The others nodded, opening their arms and welcoming the two strangers with genuine warmth.
Henry and Fenlor looked at Rudravaan, and in that moment they finally understood—understood how deeply his people loved him. Even while living in shelters, uncertain if they had enough food for themselves, they still welcomed outsiders without hesitation.
Their loyalty wasn't fear.
It was devotion.
Fenlor and Henry waited outside the large shelter where important meetings were held. They sat on two wooden chairs placed near the entrance, trying to stay calm. The sounds of the settlement faintly reached them—people talking, guards moving, children running—but around them, everything felt strangely quiet.
Morvyn turned to the gathered people and guards who had rushed to welcome their emperor.
"Everyone, clear the area for now. We need to go to the meeting room. A meeting is about to begin," he announced.
No one questioned him; they simply nodded and began to disperse, giving the place a sudden calm.
Once the crowd had thinned, Morvyn and Rudravaan started walking together toward the meeting room. After a long moment of quiet steps, Morvyn finally spoke.
"Where have you been? You said you'd return in a few days. Do you know how much everyone worried when you never came back? Every single day people asked, 'Where is the emperor?'"
Rudravaan sighed lightly. "I did say that… but no one knew it would take this long. And about the two with me—Fenlor, the swordsman, and Henry, the boy—they want to follow me and learn from me."
Morvyn looked ready to question him further, but Rudravaan cut in gently.
"We've reached the place. Let's talk inside."
As they approached the door, Rudravaan glanced at Fenlor.
"Hey, Fenlor. Come inside. You're joining this meeting too."
Fenlor quickly stood, exchanged a small nod with Morvyn—an unspoken greeting—and stepped into the meeting room alongside them.