"E-excuse me?! Your territory?!"
My words tumbled out, sharp and panicked.
A tall, commanding figure atop a horse stared at me, flanked by silent guards.
Their eyes were cold, sharp, unyielding.
The rain had just eased, leaving the forest dripping, mist curling around trees.
My reflection from the mirror back home flickered… vanished.
I wasn't in my room anymore.
My gown… the riders… everything felt surreal.
Panic clawed at me.
"This forest belongs to me. And I don't take kindly to strangers wandering through it uninvited."
He dismounted gracefully.
Every movement calculated, precise.
His gaze swept over me—first my trembling hands, then the gown, then my eyes.
It burned.
Like he could read my every lie.
Lie. Quick. Make up something believable. Or… just stay silent. Don't do anything stupid.
"I… I came to look for my parents… I didn't know… I didn't know this forest was yours…"
He circled me slowly, predator-like, unhurried.
The guards formed a protective ring around him, silent and tense.
Every instinct screamed: don't panic, don't move wrong.
"You're not from around here, are you?
Your accent… your clothes…"
"I… I am a citizen from a neighboring kingdom," I stammered, voice trembling.
"I came to find my parents… I didn't know this forest belonged to you…"
"A citizen from a neighboring kingdom, huh?
And what might be the name of this kingdom?"
"I… I don't remember," I admitted, heart hammering.
"I… had amnesia. I was raised by farmers. When I heard I had a family, I… went to find them…"
"Amnesia, huh?"
His calm voice carried a dark edge, making my blood run cold.
He stepped closer, grasping my wrist.
Come with me.
"Please… don't kill me… I just want to live."
"Who said anything about killing you?"
(pause, tilts head slightly, faint amusement)
"I'm taking you to my castle for questioning."
"My story isn't enough? I told you I'm looking for my family!"
"And I need to verify it.
You could be a spy sent by my enemies."
A sharp gesture to his horse.
Before I could protest, he guided me onto the saddle.
His presence pressed against me, firm, unmovable.
Instinctively, I tried to shift away, but his arms encircled me, taking control of the reins.
"Relax."
(His words brush against my ear. A shiver runs down my spine.)
"I'm innocent!"
"So you keep saying.
Yet here you are, alone, in my forest.
Innocence rarely finds itself in such situations."
The reins tighten slightly.
The horse trots steadily forward.
The mist curls around the trees.
I grip the saddle, desperate.
"I told you! I'm searching for my family!"
He doesn't believe me. But… why does he hesitate? What is he thinking?
Why does he feel… different from the rest of them?