Daphne noticed it when the path curved.
At first, she thought she was imagining it. The road was dark, and her nerves were already stretched thin. But then she looked again at the towers in the distance, at the familiar outline rising against the sky.
Her breath seized.
"This way…this is toward the palace."
The man beside her didn't stop. He didn't even hesitate.
"Didn't I tell you?" he replied. "I'd take you to where you'd remember me."
Her heart thudded harder. "You did but this doesn't make sense. How is that the palace?"
He let out a low chuckle, almost amused. "You ask too many questions," he said lightly. "Be patient."
They rode on.
The closer they got, the more familiar everything felt, the roads, the walls, and the quiet authority of the palace. Daphne's fingers curled tightly in her lap. This wasn't just dangerous, this was reckless.
Just before they reached the gates, he slowed his horse and reached into his cloak. He pulled out a dark veil and handed it to her.
