THIRD PERSON's POV
The Eastern Kingdom had changed. Not with the usual quiet arrogance of kings and courts, but with an unnatural pulse of dread that seeped into every stone, every street, and every heart. The marketplace in the capital city, once bustling with laughter and clattering hooves, was eerily silent. Merchants huddled in their stalls, eyes darting to the palace spires, where black banners now waved against the sky. Soldiers marched beneath them, their armor polished, yet their movements rigid, as if fear alone guided their hands.
Arabella stood at the edge of the city walls, hidden in the shadows of a nearby alley, her fingers clutching the worn fabric of her cloak. The chill of early morning did nothing to deter her; her mind was ablaze with questions and dread.
Her mother—D
