The ride to Fruiner was way calmer than Etien had expected. No tension, no heavy talks, just the soft breeze brushing past and the steady clop of hooves, syncing with the slowing beat of his heart. Ophelia sat beside him, quiet beneath her hood, serene. That was enough. All he wanted was for her to get home safe.
Glen's words still echoed in his head: Etien wasn't required to attend the Imperial Court trial against Elias Mason. That news hit like a weight suddenly lifted off his chest. He didn't have to return to the capital. Not now. Maybe never again.
It wasn't that he totally hated the place. Actually, it had once been his escape. Since he was a kid, the capital was his way out, a world that buzzed louder, lived brighter, full of color. That hidden portal behind the walls of Winterbraun Castle had taken him there hundreds of times, sneaky visits just to steal a few moments.
