It had been a long day of riding and the afternoon sun had given way to rolling dark clouds as soon as we reached the outskirts of the forbidden forest.
My men, including eunuch Van who had never left my side, balked at entering the forest, so we pitched our tents just on the outskirts for the day.
It would be foolhardy to go on with the rains coming anyway. The next hour was spent setting up camp as I looked around at my surroundings.
In these few years that I’d been outside the palace walls I’d gained a new love for my kingdom. The beauty of the land as told by the scholars of old was magnificently breathtaking.
Not for the first time I wished she were here beside me to enjoy it as I was. I no longer shy away from thoughts of her, but accept them now as my constant companion. Here lately though, she seems to play heavy on my mind.