Head to the dungeons.

Time passes by, perhaps an hour or two. There's still some things to tidy in the Throne Room, but you give yourself a moment to reflect on everything. Before you can depart from the Great Hall, a man politely intercepts your attention. Rada Beela is an older man with long hair and a short beard, though it isn't merely the colour of his hair that signifies his familiar blood. When you're able to see into his eyes more closely, it becomes clearer that he truly is the father of Eva. He's definitely less fiery, however, contrary to his specialization in magic. He's garbed in a fine red silken robe--reflective, like sparks of flames as he moves. While he may not feel quite like the other chairmen you've met, he's surely must have accomplished much to achieve the position himself.

"Pardon me," he says. "Kyle. Hero King. I was wondering, if you aren't occupied with royal business, whether or not you'd like to join my daughter and I for lunch. She's been growing up so fast as of late, and I here I foolishly thought she was already finished. We have much to catch up on. I'm sure she'd like you to come, given the somewhat discomfort she still feels in my presence."

"Sure. That sounds good to me," you reply. "What were your plans with it?"

"Well, we admittedly didn't think that far."

You ponder for a moment. "Why don't we have a picnic lunch at Crystal Lake? I've been meaning to thank the Lady after all she did for us."

He strokes his fingers down the hair on his chin. "Ah yes. I've heard. To think, stories about the Lady of the Lake turned out to be true, and you've even become her ally. I shouldn't be so surprised given all you've accomplished."

Footfalls near. Yaera appears not far from you, but she awaits her turn to interject.

"Ms. Tedrilui," says Rada. "Is there something you needed?"

"Perhaps there may be, Mr. Beela," she says with a nod. She then looks to you with half-lidded eyes and speaks softly. "Kyle." Then with a welcoming gesture of her hand between you both, she continues. "I do not mean to impose myself, but if you are to have a lunch together, perhaps my daughter and I could come as well. For similar reasons."

"Interesting. That's not a bad idea at all," Rada replies. "I envy you, Ms. Tedrilui. You're a beautiful, powerful woman, and your daughter looks up to you with the utmost respect. I'm afraid I don't have such a smooth relationship with my child."

"If my daughter is a spark, yours is a flame. I am certain she will open up to you more with time. She does not hate you, even if that thought clouds your mind. Allow us to catch up with our children together then. And I do believe both Amara and Eva would be quite happy to have Kyle's presence nearby."

You give a thumbs-up. "I've got some stuff to do in the meantime. How about we all meet down at Crystal Lake at noon? Let Amara and Eva know for me, if you run into them first. I'm not sure where they took off to."

With that, you depart.

You pass through the front doors and into the hallway. Past that, the main gates leading to the town of Castle Phoenix remain open. The sky is mostly cloud, though beams of light pierce through the cracks between. There's a chill in the hair, though not enough for you to retrieve your cloak. Between the clothing Luna stitched for you and the armour crafted by Laira, you feel comfortable in most temperatures, besides the ****. You haven't lived through a winter in Absoterra yet, though to your knowledge, the Empire of Tivera doesn't get all that cold.

That's enough fresh air for now. You head back inside, and make your way to the staircase descending to the dungeons.

You turn the corner, but before you can take the first step down, your Kitty Sense feels a pair of eyes on your back. You turn to see Niki standing back the way you came. "What's up?" you ask from afar.

She moves slowly closer. "Oh. Well, I just wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead. Something wrong?"

"Not really." She scratches the back of her head, clearly nervous. You get the sense something has made her uncomfortable. "Just wondering what you're doing for lunch today."

"Oh. Well actually, we were--"

"Can I come?" she asks quickly, pursing her lips straight after the words leave them.

You eye her up and down for a moment. "You overheard us talking."

"I wasn't far away. I swear I wasn't eavesdropping on purpose."

"Niki. Of course you can come. I can't imagine any of the others would oppose. Even if they did, I'm the Hero King, right?"

She leans against the wall, crossing her arms as she stares up towards the tall stone ceiling. "It's just... Well, this lunch is about those two catching up with their kids, right?"

"And enjoying each other's company. Hey. Why don't we Bunny Hop to Althudiyu together and pick your parents up? We can have a whole family meal thing going. That shouldn't be too hard. We'll be there and back in no time. I'm sure you miss them."

"I suppose." She looks away for a time, as if staring at something that isn't there. She speaks quieter now, at first as if she's thinking aloud, though by the end her ruby gaze shifts back to meet your eyes. "I was banished from my home for so long. It wasn't until you brought me back last time that my hope was restored that I could have any future with my family back in it... Yeah. Let's do it, Kyle. I'm sure my mom, dad, and brother would be more than thrilled to come have lunch with us."

You smile as you approach her. Gently, you take hold of her hand, and trail your thumb along her palm. "Meet me near the front gates in a few minutes. I need to head to the dungeons first."

A trail of deep crimson flows across and over the scar on her nose. "Don't take too long. You got me all excited now."

After a nod, you continue the way you were originally headed--down the stairs, towards the prison cells located beneath the castle.