Laury prepared himself to leave at dawn. Before departing, he met his family one last time. His mother stood beside his father, crying softly against his shoulder. She had long blond hair and blue eyes—just like Laury—and wore a simple vintage green dress tightened with a corset. Though her tears never stopped, both his parents believed the Queen needed him more than anyone, and that Salvania itself depended on him. Laury had been born to be trusted, and he would never betray that destiny.
He said goodbye to Emily, pulling her into a tight embrace. Yet something felt wrong. She was frightened—more than she should have been. Not only because he was traveling to Sani Scabar, the land of enemies, but because of something deeper, something unspoken. It was as if she feared a truth neither of them dared to name. Laury noticed it, but he chose to believe that whatever haunted her would not become a problem for either of them.
Then he left.
Those two days were not easy for him.
On the first night, Laury arrived at a small village just before darkness fully settled. Every house was closed, their windows dark, and the silence felt unnatural—as if the village itself was holding its breath. While walking through the empty street, he noticed a small vintage library standing alone, its wooden door worn by time. Curious and exhausted, he stepped inside and sat down.
Moments later, he saw the edge of a dress moving toward him. He lifted his head. A young woman stood there.
"What are you doing here so late?" she asked.
"I'm traveling," Laury replied. "From my city to another."
She studied him briefly. "People rarely pass through here. I think the only destination our village ever helps travelers reach… is Sani Scabar."
"Yes," he said. "That's where I'm going. Do you know anything about it?"
She let out a quiet, bitter laugh. "What a place with no dignity. People there are treated like working machines—no freedom, no soul. A world of bondage. My father went there once. He wrote a book about it. I read it, and I would never go there. Trust me."
Laury leaned forward.
"I heard," she continued, lowering her voice, "that they broke the rules of the war. They want to colonize Salvania." She hesitated, then added, "And now… I heard they once kidnapped the Queen of Salvania."
At the word queen, Laury stood up abruptly. "Do you have any information about that?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Why would you need to know?"
Silence stretched between them.
"Well," he said carefully, "I'm going there anyway. Of course I want to know everything."
She sighed. "I don't know much. Only that a famous wizard from the north is involved. They say he gave them a poison potion… or something like that."
Laury interrupted her—he already knew this. "And what do they gain from all of this?"
"My father told me," she replied slowly, "that they spread a story—that her lover will come to save her. They say he is training the soldiers there." She paused. "But when he comes, they make sure the soldiers are no longer training. Time is wasted. Strength fades. Discipline breaks."
She looked at him seriously. "It's a strategy. To distract Salvania. To delay its army. To turn confidence into doubt and order into chaos. They don't want Salvania strong—they want it confused, afraid, and divided."
"A lover?" Laury repeated, his voice tightening.
She smiled slightly. "What? Are you jealous? Do you know the Queen?"
"Yes," he answered without thinking.
Then he corrected himself. "No… I just don't think a young queen like her would have a lover at such an age."
She laughed softly. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's not as handsome as you." Her eyes lingered on him. "This is the first time I've seen someone this handsome—especially your eyes. They feel like an ocean… an ocean hiding a true man inside it."
Laury said nothing.
He stood, lifted his bag, and asked her for the book her father had written about Sani Scabar. He promised to return it when he came back.
When he finally stepped outside, he realized how much time had passed. Only two hours later, morning light had already begun to rise. He returned to his horse and continued toward Sani Scabar.
Yet his mind was no longer at peace.
If their goal was only to distract Salvania, to plant fear and chaos in every heart—then why use the potion? Why involve Elara? And what was the Queen doing with her?
None of it made sense.
And that frightened him more than any enemy ever could.