The carriage rolled steadily along the forest path, the soft creak of wheels and the occasional cry of distant birds the only sounds that accompanied us. I sat quietly, gazing out of the small window, watching as the dense trees blurred past. My mind, however, was far from peaceful.
Everything had changed and so quickly. One day, I was an empress, and now I was a fugitive, saved only by a stranger whose motives I still didn't fully understand.
Across from me sat the mysterious man who had pulled me from the execution grounds Damon. His sharp jawline and cold, calculating eyes seemed to observe everything, yet reveal nothing.
"Are you planning to keep staring at me for the rest of the journey?" Damon asked without glancing up from his dagger, which he was methodically sharpening.
I stiffened. "I'm trying to figure out why you saved me," I said honestly. "You risked your life for a woman branded a traitor."
