Natalie POV
The royal carriage moved at a smooth, heavy pace across the rocky borders of the neutral zone. Outside the glass window, the sprawling, dark pine forests of the Blackwood territory gradually gave way to the jagged, slate-gray mountains of the Bloodstone Pack.
I sat opposite Richard, my hands folded tightly over the thick fabric of my traveling gown—a deep emerald silk dress with long, structured sleeves and a high collar that hid the frantic pounding of my pulse. Over my shoulders lay the heavy black fur cloak Richard had insisted I wear, its rich weight acting as a physical anchor against the cold air whistling through the carriage seams.
Richard was silent, his attention locked onto a map laid out across the velvet seat beside him. The early morning light cut through the w
