The Usurped Crown

Between the Two Kingdoms

"Storm the place!"

The harsh command echoed through the house, like the roar of a raging storm tearing serenity from its roots. Doors splintered and soldiers surged inside, their weapons reflecting the flickering torchlight, while strict orders filled the air with imminent danger.

Tiana still unable to comprehend what was happening, froze for a moment, her wide eyes a pure mirror of shock. But her mother’s hand gripped her wrist firmly, pulling her out of the paralysis.

"Run Tiana, please!" whispered Yun, her voice a blend of desperation and deadly fear.

But how could she run? How could she leave her mother behind, facing those men who had come to take her life? Her breaths came in ragged gasps; her mind refused to believe.

"Mom… I can’t…"

"Tiana, listen to me carefully!" her mother cut her off with a firmness Tiana had never heard before, pushing her toward the back door. "You must escape now Don’t stop, don’t look back, don’t let them catch you, Your life… is all that matters to me right now."

Her eyes glistened, not with tears of weakness, but with love pure, deep love. The love of a mother who knew this might be the last time she would see her child.

"I love you, my little one."

Before she could say anything, her mother shoved her outside and slammed the door shut behind her.

---

She ran.

Without thinking, without hesitation, she ran with all her strength, her bare feet striking the cold ground, the frigid air stinging her face. Behind her, sounds rose shouts, orders, breaking furniture but she did not look back, just as her mother had instructed.

The alleys were dark, torchlight dancing across walls like ghosts pursuing her. She didn’t know where to go, only that she had to put distance between herself and those men, had to vanish before they could seize her.

But… where? To whom?

Her heart pounded wildly, her eyes searched for any escape. She couldn’t go to Luka’s house they would find her there. There was no safe place.

And then…

"There! I saw a shadow moving!"

Her blood froze, She spun sharply, seeing torches moving swiftly toward her.

Damn it!

She gritted her teeth and surged forward again, pushing her body beyond its limits, gasping, stumbling, but refusing to stop. She turned at narrow corners, then another. Her feet barely carried her, her breaths jagged, her heart hammering like a war drum but she dared not pause.

She hid behind a cracked wooden barrel, pressing her hand to her mouth to muffle her racing breaths. Heavy footsteps approached… then halted a few meters away.

"Did you find her?" one soldier demanded angrily.

"No, she vanished like a ghost," another replied, stamping the ground in frustration.

"That girl… she can’t have gone far, If she’s still in the village, we will find her."

"And the woman?"

Tiana choked back tears, pressing her hand harder to her mouth, her body trembling with pain unlike anything she had known.

"She’s caught, But she said nothing."

The air froze in her lungs. Said nothing? Did that mean her mother was still alive? Or…?

"It doesn’t matter. The main target is the girl. The king wants her head."

She felt nauseous. Why? Why did they want her dead? She hadn’t harmed anyone… she was just a girl living a simple life with her mother.

There was no time to wait. She had to leave now.

She waited until the soldiers had moved slightly, then crawled cautiously through the shadows, heading eastward in the village, toward the path that led out, toward the dense forest separating the kingdom from Esteria’s border.

She had no idea how long she ran, but when she finally stopped, her body collapsed from exhaustion. She felt her trembling knees, struggling to catch her breath. The forest before her was desolate, its branches swaying with the wind as if whispering unknown secrets.

She had no other choice.

Slipping between the trees, careful not to leave a trace, branches scratching her skin, damp earth staining her bare feet, she paid no mind. There was no time for complaints.

.

Hours passed. Tiana was still running, breaths ragged, her feet barely carrying her over the rugged terrain, yet she did not stop. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind—she should have escaped with her, but her mother had chosen to stay…

A burning pain pierced her chest as she recalled her mother’s last look, the fear reflected in her eyes, the tremor as she begged her not to look back. But she had… she had looked… the last sight was her mother standing at the doorway, blocking the soldiers. She could hear nothing but the wind in her ears; even her own scream never reached her.

Now, after what felt like an eternity of fleeing, she didn’t know how far she had gone. The forest thinned, the air growing colder… it meant one thing: she was nearing the border.

But she was not alone this night…

---

At Esteria’s border, patrols had doubled. The king’s orders were clear and strict: no one could cross without verification, as strange movements had increased in the area recently. Some guards thought it was mere rumor, but others saw unusual signs strange footprints, whispered sounds at night, even torn messages at the edge of camps.

At one checkpoint, the squad leader watched the darkness with vigilant eyes. A shadow moved among the trees. He signaled his soldiers. Instantly alert, they raised their swords and spread out.

Tiana had no need to run here. She had to remain hidden until morning. But fear, fatigue, and pain clouded her mind. When she stepped from the trees toward the road, she didn’t know she was walking straight into a trap.

"Stop right there!"

She froze. Four armed soldiers stood before her, their eyes gleaming cautiously under torchlight. She couldn’t flee now.

"Who are you?" one demanded, his voice rough and firm.

Tiana didn’t answer. Her body trembled from exhaustion and cold. One soldier sensed she posed no real threat, but remained wary.

"Answer!" shouted another, raising his sword.

She opened her mouth, but no words came… what could she say? She was just a runaway, nameless and homeless.

No response was needed. One soldier stepped closer, scrutinizing her appearance tattered clothes, scratches on her arms, exhaustion etched on her face… she looked like a fleeing refugee. But that alone was not enough to free her.

"We take her to the palace."

Tiana had no chance to object. Her hands were immediately bound behind her with rope.

Yet, far from them, hidden among the trees, another pair of eyes watched…

A soldier from Alderis had seen everything.

And as Esteria’s forces took Tiana away, that soldier hurried back to his kingdom, carrying the news.