“ What's going on? Is he not Akata? How the hell did your brother banish him? Why does he call himself Leo? ” Boshu poured his heart out but Roe stayed quiet. 
“ We need to go back. Let's take Akata to the Wolf territories. We don't have a proper facility to give him the required care. I need to talk with my brother as well. Things don't seem right at the moment. 
You stay back and take care of the kids, I will leave with him immediately.”
*****
At the Wolf Kingdom -
Roe might have left her lands for love but her land never stopped loving her. 
Every leaf she stepped on rustled in greeting. 
Dust danced in the air, and every stone she trod upon seemed to echo a silent welcome.
There was a stir amongst the guards as she walked through the gates, with Akata in her arms, going straight towards the palace. 
The soldiers standing tall and vigilant, softened at her arrival, acknowledging her with a respectful nod. It was as though the very essence of the kingdom recognized her, embracing her return with a quiet reverence.
She walked straight inside the King's court. 
Everyone dropped whatever they were engaged in and turned their heads. All eyes were on Roe and it seemed like everything froze in that moment. 
Xie's eyes met Roe and then it traveled towards the unconscious Akata in her lap. 
Roe took one confident step after another towards the throne and then she stopped as she spotted the Royal healer amongst the crowd. 
“ Mr.Healer, please come and take a look at him. ”
The healer immediately ran up to her. Roe whistled at you guards, who were staring at her. 
“You, two. Come here. Help this old man. He will not be able to carry this lad to his chamber. Get going. Come on. ”
It had been years yet her authority was unparalleled. They immediately scurried away with Akata and then she turned her attention towards Xie. 
“ It's been years ,Meimei ( little sister) . What brings you back to your homeland? ”
Xie walked down his pedestal with open arms. But Roe pulled her sword out and pointed at his throat, much to everyone’s outcry. Xie was shocked. 
But he did not utter a single word. 
“ What brings me here? Your expression tells me you have been up to no good.What's your deal with Akata? I would like to talk with Lin and Mia personally. Where are they staying at the moment? I couldn't find their old house on my way back. What's going on? ”
A hushed murmur spread across the courtroom. 
Xie looked around and then grabbed Roe's wrist and dragged her inside. 
He did not stop until they were inside his private chambers. 
Xie shut the door behind him with a bang and then glared at her. 
“ There has been a lot going on since you left Roe. Don't you think you should have asked for an explanation instead of humiliating me in front of everybody? ” he slammed. 
“ That is exactly what I am asking from you. Explain what's going on. But whatever it might be, I know one thing for sure, that you banished Akata from his grandfather's kingdom and at a time when he doesn't seem to be in his right mind. I don't think you will ever be able to give me a suitable explanation for this. But go ahead. Try explaining everything. ”
She walked across the room and sat down comfortably. 
*****
A few hours had passed. 
It was a good thing that Roe was sitting. She had to grab onto the walls to stabilize herself. 
“ Mia is gone? All these years? You threw Lin in the dungeon and then you threw Akata in the wild, when he literally came back from the dead? Just to save your family? Save yourself? You did nothing? I don't understand big brother? Were you always like this ? I cannot believe my ears.”
She literally hands her claws digging on the concrete walls. 
“ It's the Celestial Gods we are talking about here, Roe. Not a quest to the Tree of Knowledge or getting rid of a curse.We need to be rational. Being emotional will lead us nowhere. They have the power to ruin one generation after another even without a direct confrontation. What power do we have against such forces? What would you have done? ”
He asked Roe. 
“ Well… I know for sure, I would not be comfortably sitting on my throne and sleeping on my soft bed while my sister was a prisoner and a brother and friend was rotting away in the dungeon. Xie! You are not worthy of my father's name. He would have been ashamed of you. ”
She turned the entire table upside down,scattering everything on the ground and then she stormed out of there. 
*******
Merindale ran with all that she had when she heard that Akata was back. 
She went straight to the healer's place and stood behind the veil. 
“ He seems to have overused his powers. He is fine. Just exhausted. I have administered some medicines. He should be fine if we let him rest for a while. ” The healer smiled reassuringly at Roe. “ Akata is built differently,you know, it's not easy to be his adversary. ” He patted Roe on her shoulder. 
Roe scoffed, “ He has taken too many burnts already. Let him rest. I must go to the dungeons. Lin has suffered enough. ”
*****
When the healer and Roe were gone, leaving Akata finally all alone, Merindale came out of the shadows, outside the veil. 
Akata lay still, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm that brought both relief and worry to Marindale's heart. Her footsteps echoed softly against the stone floor as she approached,almost tip toeing, lest she should disrupt the precious silence. 
 It was a reunion but with what conditions? She did not want to guess. 
Gently, she reached out to touch his hand, her fingers lingering over his skin, seeking his warmth and comfort. She hesitated. 
The flickering candlelight cast shadows on his face, highlighting the lines of pain etched there.
Her heart ached at the sight. 
She tried to trace the lines on his face but withdrew once more. 
The torment of their separation was now compounded by the fear of losing him all over again. 
As she gazed at him, memories flooded her mind.The laughter they shared, their little adventures, and the unspoken promises.She smiled in the midst of that uncertainty. 
With a trembling breath, Merindale whispered softly, her voice barely audible in the quiet chamber. "Akata...So you really are my brother." Her words carried the weight of unspoken emotions, the depth of her love for him resonating in every syllable.
Unable to contain her emotions any longer, tears welled up in her eyes, silently tracing paths down her cheeks. She leaned in closer, pressing a tender kiss on his forehead, hoping desperately for any sign of response.
“The moments we shared lingered like a melody, haunting yet beautiful. To have you back and yet unable to feel your presence is a cruel twist of fate. I would give anything for your awakening.For the chance to hold you once more, to tell you how deeply I cherish you.My soul is intertwined with yours.”
Her voice quivered with emotion, her words carried the heavy weight of a love that transcended any taboo, pain or despair.
She rested her forehead against his, whispering silent prayers to whatever forces governed their fate,pleading for a miracle. 
To bring him back to her in the true sense.In the new light of events he seemed more distant even though he was right in front of her.
In that chamber, amidst the stillness and the flickering dance of candlelight and shadows, Merindale poured her heart out, hoping against hope that their love would be the beacon guiding him back to her, somehow. 
*****
Roe stormed right inside the dungeons, flinging one soldier after another when some of them dared to defy her. 
She seemed like she was on a rampage, stopping only when she was confronted by Ruby herself. 
“ You do not know what you are doing sister-in-law . He was locked up to prevent him from hurting himself and Akata. You are making a grave mistake. ”
Roe observed her desperate pleas and then uttered, “ Move aside. Let me see him. ”
She gasped as her eyes fell on him. 
Lin was hanging by his chain. His body slouched and defeated. 
The cell itself mirrored his desolation.The walls, were covered in layers of grime and scratches.The musty scent of dampness and decay lingered everywhere.Lin's senses seemed dulled by years of monotony and deprivation.He struggled to distinguish between friend and foe.He started grunting like a rabid animal as soon as he sensed movement in front of his cell. 
His once bright ,color changing eyes had grown vacant.A sheer evidence of neglect and isolation.
Roe glared at Ruby, who failed to utter another word. 
Roe burst the gaves of Lin's confinement open. 
“ I will be taking him. Report this to, brother if you want. ”
Roe went inside, touched Lin's forehead, subduing him easily and then she flung him on her back and left towards the healer's chamber.
****
“ That stupid, girl! ” Xie punched the wall hard as Ruby reported what Roe had done. 
“ I will need to let the foxes and the mer-witches know. Roe will not let this pass easily. A war with the Celestial Gods seems inevitable. We must prepare. ”
The husband and wife left for their respective lands, completely unaware that their daughter was treading down the path they wanted her to abandon.