Braedon had changed since we arrived. Three days ago, it had been a small mountain town where travellers stopped before continuing towards Verdura. Now the roads were crowded with horses, soldiers, supply carts and messengers moving between camps. The narrow streets struggled to accommodate everyone who had arrived with Duke Lysander.
I stood near the edge of the town and watched the Astorian guards establish their camp outside the walls. Tents went up in neat rows while soldiers carried bundles of firewood towards the waiting campfires. Horses stamped and snorted as their handlers led them between the tents.
The constant clank of armour made it difficult to forget why they were here. This was no longer simply a disagreement between Alexander and me. Astoria had sent soldiers. Eldoria had sent its own representatives. And somewhere beyond the mountains, Aetheron was still being hunted.
"Your Highness." Lady Evelyn's voice brought me back.
I turned towards her. "Are you ready?"
I looked towards the Duke's tent. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Evelyn gave a small nod. "Then we should go."
We walked through the camp together. The soldiers we passed straightened and saluted. Some looked at me with curiosity, others with relief. I wasn't sure which reaction made me more uncomfortable. By the time we reached the largest tent, two guards stepped aside.
Inside, Duke Lysander stood over a table covered with maps. Sir Gregor was beside him, speaking quietly with a man I had never met before. The stranger turned when we entered. He was older than Sir Gregor, with greying hair and a stern expression that seemed permanently fixed in place.
Lysander looked up. For a moment, the severity in his face disappeared. "Elysia." He crossed the tent and pulled me into an embrace.
I hadn't realised how much I needed to see a familiar face until then.
"It's good to see you safe," he said.
I stepped back and smiled. "It's good to see you too, uncle."
His hand remained briefly on my shoulder before he turned towards the other man. "This is General Thorne of Eldoria."
I inclined my head. "General."
He returned the gesture. "Your Highness." His eyes moved between me and the Duke. "Now that the matter can be handled directly between the appropriate parties, I believe my presence is no longer required." His tone was formal, almost clipped. He bowed to me, then to Lysander, and left the tent.
I watched him go. That was certainly one way to make an introduction.
Duke Lysander gestured towards the table. "Sit."
I joined him. Evely and Sir Gregor stood nearby. Duke Lysander leaned forward. "Now tell me what happened." There was no accusation in his voice. That almost made it harder.
I drew a breath. "Prince Alexander intends to hunt Aetheron."
Sir Gregor's expression tightened at the name. Duke Lysander remained silent.
"He believes killing the King of Monsters will prevent further attacks on Eldoria," I continued. "He thinks removing Aetheron will protect his kingdom."
"And you disagree."
"Completely."
I placed both hands on the table. "Aetheron isn't simply another monster. He maintains a balance among the magical creatures. If Alexander kills him, there is no guarantee that the creatures he controls—or the ones who respect him—will simply disappear."
Duke Lysander frowned. "That balance may not mean much to kingdoms that have lost people to these creatures."
"I'm aware." My voice is a bit restrained.
"I understand why they're afraid."
That was the part I couldn't dismiss. It would have been easy to tell Duke Lysander that Alexander was wrong and leave it at that. But people had been attacked. Villages had been destroyed. Fear didn't appear out of nowhere.
"The problem," I continued, "is that fear has made people see every magical creature as a threat."
Duke Lysander leaned back. "And you believe Astoria can convince them otherwise?"
"I believe we have to try."
Sir Gregor, who had been listening quietly, spoke, "Prince Alexander won't."
"You're right." I looked down at the map between us. "He believes hunting Aetheron is the answer. If he succeeds, we may not get another chance."
Duke Lysander studied me. "What would you do instead?"
I hesitated. I'd been turning the idea over in my head since Evergrove. It had seemed impossible when I first thought of it. Now it was the only option I could see. "I want to find Aetheron."
Sir Gregor's eyes narrowed. "And do what, Your Highness? You must not forget that this problem begins with you being kidnapped by one of his monsters!"
"I want to talk to him. To know why he sent the Frostbane in the first place."
Silence filled the tent. Duke Lysander studied me. "You want to negotiate with the King of Monsters?"
"Yes."
"And you believe he will listen?"
"I don't know." That answer seemed to surprise him. "But we can't know unless we try. If Aetheron is willing to negotiate, then perhaps we can prevent a war between humans and magical creatures. If he isn't..." I paused. "At least we'll know we tried something other than killing him."
Duke Lysander's fingers tapped once against the table. "The risk is considerable."
"So is allowing Alexander to continue."
He looked at me for a long moment. Finally, he exhaled. "Very well."
I blinked. "You agree?"
"I agree that it is worth attempting." His expression hardened. "But if negotiations fail, Astoria cannot simply stand by while their precious Princess is placed in danger."
"I understand."
"And you will not go alone."
I looked at Evelyn. She was already watching me. "I was planning to go alone."
"No." Duke Lysander's voice left little room for argument. "You are a princess of Astoria. Whatever you may think of yourself, you are not expendable."
I almost smiled at that. If only he knew how often I had considered doing exactly that. I looked back at the map. "I need to tell you something else."
Lady Evelyn shifted slightly. Duke Lysander waited.
"If Alexander learns what we're actually planning, he'll never allow me to leave."
Neither of them interrupted.
"So I can't tell him."
Duke Lysander's expression became more serious. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'll mislead him." The words sounded harsher once spoken aloud. "I'll make him believe I'm helping him find Aetheron. Then, when we are close enough, I'll find a way to leave the group and meet Aetheron myself."
Sir Gregor frowned. "Your Highness—"
"I know it's dangerous." I looked at him. "But if Alexander reaches Aetheron first, there may be nothing left to negotiate."
Duke Lysander remained silent.
I turned towards Evelyn. "And you need to go back to Astoria with the Duke."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Princess—"
"I mean it." I reached for her hand. "I can't let Alexander use you to keep me from leaving. If I disappear, he may decide you're responsible. Or worse, he may keep you with him until he finds me."
Lady Evelyn's fingers tightened around mine. For a moment, she looked as though she wanted to argue. Then she lowered her gaze. "I don't like this."
"Neither do I." That earned the faintest smile from her.
"But I understand."
The knot in my chest loosened slightly.
Duke Lysander stood. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Be careful, Elysia."
I looked up at him. "I will."
"This path you're choosing..." He paused. "...may not lead where you expect."
I knew that better than anyone. I'd already watched the original story fall apart around me.
We left the tent together. The camp had grown quieter by then. The sun was already sinking behind the mountains, leaving the peaks dark against the fading sky.
We hadn't gone far when I saw Alexander. He was standing with Liam and several of his knights near the edge of the camp. General Thorne was speaking to him, though their conversation stopped when they noticed us approaching.
Alexander turned towards me. "Your Highness." His tone was formal.
I returned the greeting. "Prince Alexander."
His gaze moved briefly towards Duke Lysander's tent before returning to me. "I trust Duke Lysander has no remaining objections to what happened."
I kept my expression calm. "He understands the circumstances. He'll explain everything to the King of Astoria."
Alexander nodded slowly. "Good."
I almost felt guilty about how easily the lie came. He had no idea that the conversation in that tent had changed everything.
The knights began preparing for the evening. General Thorne returned to his men, while Duke Lysander and Sir Gregor moved towards the Astorian camp.Lady Evelyn and I remained behind.
We found a fallen log near the edge of the camp and sat down. For a while, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the soldiers carried across the clearing: boots against earth, horses shifting in their harnesses, someone calling for more firewood.
Finally, Lady Evelyn broke the silence. "You handled that well."
I looked at her. "You mean my uncle?"
"The Duke. The general. And Prince Alexander."
I let out a quiet breath. "I don't feel as though I've handled anything."
Lady Evelyn looked towards the camp. "You persuaded the Duke to consider negotiating with the King of Monsters. You convinced Prince Alexander that everything between Astoria and Eldoria has been settled."
"For now."
"For now," she agreed.
I rested my elbows on my knees. That was the problem. Everything we had accomplished was temporary. Sooner or later, Alexander would continue the hunt. And when he did, I needed to be somewhere else. "I hope I can find Aetheron before he does."
I looked at the mountains. Somewhere beyond them was a creature everyone in Eldoria feared. Aetheron. I didn't know what he looked like. I didn't know whether he would listen to me. I didn't even know whether he would believe anything I said. But I had to try. Because if I did nothing, Alexander's version of the story would become reality. And I had already learned what happened when I let the story decide everything for me.
That night, as I lay in my room, I kept thinking about the plan. Find Aetheron. Talk to him. Prevent Alexander from killing him. Simple words. A terrifyingly complicated task. I turned onto my side and stared into the darkness. For the first time since arriving in this world, I wasn't trying to figure out how to return to the life I had lost. I was trying to protect the one I had found. And tomorrow, I would have to start figuring out how to disappear.