The night was heavy and still beyond the palace walls, save for the whispering chorus of insects and wind. That damning agreement still lay upon the table, coiled like a serpent luring me in—yet my resolve was firm.
I would flee.
Not for any person, nor for any promise, but for myself.
These past days, I had memorized the guards’ patrol routes, even the kitchen maid’s schedule and movements. The enemy kingdom’s palace, though more labyrinthine than the one I knew, held a few passages not yet sealed shut.
I tore the letter to shreds, burned it to ashes, and scattered them into a flowerpot. Then I dressed in black, binding my half-healed wound tight, coiling my long hair beneath a wide-brimmed hat.
Tonight, there was no moon—only scattered stars.
I moved silently through the dim corridors of the side palace, each step carefully placed where I knew it would be safe. The shadow guards had never underestimated me, yet they hadn’t expected such ruthless defiance.
Just as I neared the small gate in the rear wall, a familiar figure suddenly blocked my path.
Him—the enemy prince.
"Where do you think you’re going?" His voice was ice, his usual composure gone, replaced by something darker, sharper—the fury of betrayal.
"Away. Anywhere but here." My tone was calm, but my fingers tightened around the small dagger hidden in my sleeve.
"Leave now, and you can never return." He stepped closer, his voice low. "Do you even realize what will happen if my brother catches you? He won’t show you the mercy I have."
"That’s not your concern." I met his gaze, my heart a storm beneath a mask of steel. "If you mean to stop me, then try."
He halted, close enough to touch, his eyes flickering with conflict. When his hand shot out to seize me, I was ready—my blade flashed, slicing toward his side—
He barely dodged, and in that instant, I vaulted over the wall.
"Don’t follow!" His roar at the hidden guards carried something raw, something wounded.
I glanced back once. There he stood, silhouetted against the palace, his gaze burning into me.
The wind lashed my face like a warning—the true trial had only just begun.
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