Solace's P.O.V
But was all just a legend or the Kingdom of Thera still exist?
I watched the man—Evander—as he stood like a sentinel between us and the Empire. His sword was drawn, the steel gleaming with a purpose that had nothing to do with Aevum. My curiosity burned, hot and demanding. He said he wasn't part of the Legion, and while he was technically standing in front of Alaric, his stance wasn't that of a royal guard protecting a prince. No, his eyes kept flickering back to me. He's protecting me. The thought felt dangerous. I didn't want to hope, yet the way he looked at me fed a hunger for answers I didn't even know I had.
"As long as one of the member's lives, the Kingdom shall rise again," Evander said, his voice like a vow. He glanced at me, his gaze heavy with meaning. Beside me, I felt Alaric stiffen. He turned to me, his eyes demanding an explanation, but I only gave a slight shrug. I knew nothing. I was just a girl from the woods who hunts down wild animals, and the kingdom's blade nothing more, or so I had thought.
The Captain looked utterly bewildered, dismounting his horse with a scowl. "What do you mean?"
Evander opened his mouth to reply, but a booming roar of voices echoed through the distant trees, signalling more troops. The Captain's face paled. He scrambled back onto his horse, looking between Evander and me with a frantic, shifting expression.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Evander. But for now, let's get out of here," the Captain barked. My head spun. Had the world just flipped on its axis? Was the Legion now aiding our escape, or was this some elaborate trap?
Evander nodded curtly, then turned to us. "Your Highnesses, we must go now."
The plural hit me like a physical blow. Highnesses. My ears practically rang with the word. Alaric was a prince, but who did that make me?
"Explain to us later," Alaric's deep voice vibrated against my back, the sound sending a strange shiver through my system. It was the first time I'd heard him speak so close, his breath warm against the cold forest air. He signalled the horse, and we lunged forward into a gallop. For a split second, my heart leaped into my throat—a flash of genuine fear—but I forced my breath to steady, adjusting my weight as we became a gust of wind tearing through the brush.
We rode hard until we hit the outskirts of a small village. We slowed our pace, pulling our hoods low to mask our faces as we trailed behind Evander and the Captain.
I stole a glance at the man holding the reins. Prince Alaric of the Aevum Empire. He was supposed to be the jewel of the palace, yet here he was, a fugitive in his own land. Why? Had the Empire descended into chaos the moment I left? My mind was a storm of unanswered questions, each one more turbulent than the last.
As we passed the humble huts, I saw the villagers watching us. Some stared with hollow eyes; others looked away quickly, pretending we didn't exist as they laboured over dry soil. Even in the dim light, the truth of Aevum was laid bare. These people were neglected, starving, and forgotten by the rulers who sat under diamond chandeliers.
My heart bled for them. I wanted to reach out, to offer something, but I kept my face a mask of stone. I couldn't afford to be fragile now. Not when I was riding with a prince, guarded by a ghost, and heading toward a legend.