Stiffening, I watched as the squire took off in the direction of his friends. Rylan? Rylan was here? He was supposed to be at the palace, safely far from the Mad Dog's reach. Far from danger. It was why I had broken our engagement, why I had destroyed everything that had ever existed between us. He was supposed to be safe.
As Viorica reached out to me, I shied away from her touch and followed the sounds of hopeful chatter. My pace quickened and when I rounded the corner, my breath caught. Surrounded by knights, standing just a few feet away, was Rylan. He was truly here. I staggered back, stopping as Viorica grabbed my hand. Turning to her, I saw the wild fear in my eyes reflected back at me. As fast as I had come here to confirm what the squire had said, I wanted nothing more than to
