Silence swallowed the western wall.
The King has escaped.
The words echoed through Elira's mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
Then—
"What?"
The word escaped her lips as barely more than a whisper.
The scout swallowed hard.
"We received confirmation less than an hour ago."
Nikolai immediately stepped forward.
"How?"
The scout shook his head.
"We don't know."
That wasn't possible.
Valerith Castle was the most secure fortress in the kingdom.
The prison beneath it even more so.
A man couldn't simply walk out.
Not after eighteen years.
Not without help.
Nikolai's expression darkened.
He was clearly thinking the same thing.
"Who knows?"
The scout hesitated.
"Not many."
"Good."
The prince's
