The Queen and the others moved through the tunnels toward the exit. One of the servants led the way, holding a flaming torch in her hand. The Queen followed close behind, tightly holding Prince Gregor's hand, while the other maid gripped Sarg's hand and pulled him along. As they all rushed toward the exit, Sarg was the only one who kept glancing back after every few steps, his heart clinging to the hope that his father would somehow come after them.
They reached a dead end. Against the wall stood a ladder leading up to a small square wooden door. One of the maids climbed up first and pushed through it, then reached back down to help the others out of the tunnel one by one. Once out, they found themselves inside a stable. A horse was already hitched to a carriage, but there was no coachman in sight. Without hesitation, one of the maids gathered her skirts and climbed up to the coachman's seat while everyone else climbed inside. The moment they were all in, the carriage lurched forward.
They passed through an alley so narrow that the carriage could barely squeeze through it. The alley led them to a gate, and after passing through it, they found themselves beyond the walls of the Kingdom of Eith. The carriage pushed on, carrying them far away from everything they had known.
Hours passed. The walls of the Kingdom had long faded from sight. Inside the carriage, the Queen held Prince Gregor in her arms, the boy sleeping soundly on her lap. Sarg, on the other hand, sat pressed against the window on the opposite side, his eyes fixed on the disappearing castle walls. His face was pale, his lips dry, and his feet heavy from the running and the fear. The maid sitting beside him noticed but said nothing,only folded her hands quietly in her lap.
"Your Highness," the maid finally broke the silence, "what do we do now?"
The Queen stared ahead with hollow eyes. "I don't know."
And the carriage rolled on through a fearsome silence.
Then, without warning, it stopped.
A fresh wave of fear swept through the Queen and the maid inside. The Queen tightened her arms around Gregor instinctively, pulling him close, while the maid drew a small knife from her sleeve and planted herself in front of the door.
The door swung open. A young soldier stepped into the dim light and bowed low, one arm folded across his chest. "Your Highness."
They were helped out of the carriage one by one.
Before them stood a tall, broad figure encased in gleaming iron armor. He lowered his head respectfully. "Your Highness, we were not expecting you here. My name is Lord Diaz of the Southern Nibara State. It is my duty to protect and guard the southern borders of the Kingdom." He gestured toward the army assembled behind him. "We were marching toward the capital from the southern border the moment word reached us that it was under attack."
The Queen's voice was hollow. "You are too late. We lost the war. Eith is no more."
Lord Diaz stood in stunned silence, the weight of those words settling over him like ash.
The Queen buried her face in her hands and broke into tears. "I lost my husband. I lost my kingdom, my people. I ran away with my son, and he has no one left but me, and I don't even know what to do." Her voice cracked. "What kind of queen am I?"
Diaz took a slow, deep breath before he spoke. "With respect, Your Highness, I believe you are wrong. Nibara is a part of Eith, and the people of Nibara are people of Eith. What we lack at this moment is not land or walls but a wise ruler to lead us forward. And I can see both a queen and a king standing right in front of me." His gaze moved from the Queen down to young Gregor.
A soldier stepped forward. "My lord, what are your orders?"
Diaz straightened. "Marching on Eith now would be pointless. We turn back toward Nibara. The safety of the Queen and the Prince is our highest priority."