The first pale rays of dawn crept through the carriage windows, stirring me from a restless sleep. My neck ached from the uncomfortable position I'd dozed in, and I could hear the soft rustling of the others beginning to wake. Queen Emma was already alert, her keen eyes scanning the horizon through the curtained window. She never seemed to truly sleep—always vigilant, always ready.
"We should reach the capital by midday," Olivia said from her horse
The morning passed in relative peace, though I noticed the increasing frequency of other travelers on the road. Merchant wagons laden with goods, families in modest carts, and the occasional lone rider on horseback—all drawn toward the same destination like iron filings to a magnet. The very air seemed to thrum with anticipation and purpose.
