The night air was thick with tension. Sienna’s breath came in quick bursts as she hurried through the dense forest, her cloak billowing behind her. The wind howled through the trees, as if trying to warn her, but she paid it no mind. Every step she took felt like one closer to the truth. She couldn’t shake the woman’s words, the darkness, the mark on Ryder’s hand. It haunted her. The vision of him, lost and consumed by something she didn’t understand, gnawed at her.
Behind her, Sir Valen and his soldiers kept a respectful distance, their presence a reminder that the kingdom’s safety was still at stake, despite the personal storm brewing inside her. She couldn’t afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment, not now, not when everything depended on the choices she made.
“Your Majesty,” Va
