Chapter Three: The Other Side
How disgusting, Annelise thought bitterly, to be expected to marry someone you share blood with. How disgusting to give your daughter away for others' benefit.
So what if it was for the greater good? So what if it was duty?
After what felt like forever on horseback, Annelise finally slid off her steed. The rain had soaked her through, but she barely noticed. She stroked the neck of her faithful horse.
"Slyder," she murmured. "My only friend. My true companion."
She took shelter beneath a large tree, its branches weeping with rainwater. Turning her head, she looked back. The castle—the only home she had ever known—now appeared so small, so distant. Her chest tightened. A strange mix of sorrow and relief washed over her.
How silly of me to think such things, she mused, hugging her knees. As if I've ever worked a day in my life.
She was privileged. She knew that. She had never gone hungry, never slept out in the cold, never been without gowns or tutors or books. She had a proper education, a warm bed, and parents who—despite their decisions—did love her. She even had two brothers who, though often absent, had shown her affection in their own awkward ways.
Yes, she had much to be thankful for.
But still. They asked too much.
Her cousin—her first cousin. The same boy she once played hide-and-seek with in palace gardens. The idea of marrying him turned her stomach.
"I know I'll never sit on the throne," she whispered aloud, "and that's fine. It's never been my dream. I just... I deserve a choice. Right, Slyder?"
The horse snorted softly in agreement.
"We deserve to breathe without being watched. To live without being bound by duty. I will make my own way, earn my own coin, grow my own life. Today, I remove myself from this mess. Today... I am free."
She stood as the clouds parted and the rain began to ease, giving way to a pale morning sun. With a newfound sense of determination, she mounted Slyder once more and pressed on.
Soon, the wild trees thinned, and she reached the border of Alandra. The grass beyond was lusher, greener. Viremont.
She had visited this land before, but only on official business. Now, riding without guards, without titles, she saw its beauty for the first time. Fields stretched endlessly. Birds sang. The world felt larger, more alive.
Not far off stood a manor nestled among the trees. She recognized it. She had been here once for a diplomatic dinner with her cousin's extended family. It meant she was getting close to the Viremont palace—which she needed to avoid at all costs.
But she needed help. If she was to cross the sea, she needed a boat, and directions. She would ask for neither gold nor title. Only guidance.
She approached the manor and knocked.
The door creaked open, revealing a young man. He looked about her age, his sleeves rolled up, a book still in one hand, as though she had interrupted his quiet morning.
Their eyes met—hers wary, his curious.
"Can I help you?" he asked.