*Dust*
I guide River back to his room, his arm slung around my shoulder, each step a reminder of how fragile he is right now. I can feel his warmth against me, but it’s mixed with the chill of the reality we’re facing. The words echo in my mind ‘death to the princess.’ I can’t shake the feeling that it’s all some horrible mistake. Surely, they meant someone else. I’m just Dust, an ordinary girl caught in this extraordinary mess.
“River,” I murmur, glancing up at him as we slowly navigate the hallway. His face is pale, lined with pain, yet his jaw is set with determination. “Maybe he thought I was someone else. I mean, there has to be a mistake, right?”
River pauses, his brow furrowing, and I can see the conflict in his eyes. “I wish I could believe that,” he replies, his voice a low gro
