Ivan stood outside the servants' entrance with Boris and several guards.
His expression was tense as he looked toward the dark road ahead.
Boris had just arrived with the news that they had found tracks belonging to the carriage that had left the palace.
"They found the tracks," Boris said. "The carriage went this way."
Ivan looked down at the ground.
The marks from the wheels were still visible in the dirt.
"How long ago?"
"Not long."
Ivan's jaw tightened.
He did not waste another second.
"Prepare my horse."
One of the guards immediately bowed.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Ivan turned to Boris.
"We follow them."
Boris nodded.
"We will."
Within a short time, Ivan, Boris, and several guards were on horseback.
They rode as fast as they could.
The night was dark, and the road ahead became narrower as they moved farther away from the palace. The horses' hooves struck the ground hard, but Ivan did not slow down.
He kept his eyes fixed ahead.
Lydia was somewhere on that road.
