That bell chime sounded exactly like the soft, low calls Alistair used to murmur whenever he waited for her to return home.
"Alistair!" Rowena's eyes flooded scarlet in an instant, and her tears burst forth like a broken dam.
She dug her heels into her horse's flank right away, hell-bent on charging straight up to the city wall. Her adjutant threw himself in front of the steed, yanking the horse to a stop by the bridle, and yelled urgently, "Marshal! Get a hold of yourself! The entire city is crawling with royal ambush troops. You can't rush in recklessly like this!"
That stark, lonely figure in red up on the city wall had completely locked all her attention.
Rowena's knuckles went white as she squeezed the reins until the leather creaked. She dragged her bloodshot gaze from the wall t
