The welcome banquet for the imperial knights, had concluded peacefully.
However another gathering was about to begin, almost at the eerie midnight, in the middle of spring.
A simple carriage rolled through the moonlit forest, its wheels crunching softly against the dirt path.
The thick canopy above swallowed the stars, plunging the world into shadow. Inside, Duke Belv sat across from Marquis Deor, his gloved fingers drumming against the wooden armrest.
"Are you certain no one followed us?" Duke Belv's voice was low, edged with caution.
Marquis Deor adjusted his cloak, his expression unreadable. "My men ensured it. We took a different route to be safe."
But outside, clinging to the back of the carriage, Harper gritted her teeth. The wind stung her cheeks as she pressed herself flat, her heart pounding against her ribs.
