Danger impending

Zyran swiftly mounted the horse, urging it to chase after Amira, who was racing ahead. He leaned forward, holding on tightly as they galloped through the woods, the branches slapping against their faces in their haste.

Amira's piercing scream filled the air, driving Zyran to push the horse even faster, desperate to catch up. As he closed in on Amira, he saw her eyes tightly closed and her head bowed, her fear evident.

"Amira!" Zyran's voice rang out, the urgency and concern palpable. She turned her head to look at him, her expression filled with fear and despair.

"Try to stop the horse," Zyran implored, his panic mounting.

Amira shook her head, tears welling in her eyes.

"I can't, I'm too scared," she confessed, her voice trembling.

Zyran's heart raced as he scanned the terrain ahead, dread gripping his insides. His eyes widened as he saw the impending danger—a cliff loomed ominously at the edge of their path.

"No!" he growled and quickened his pace.

Amira, noticing the deep frown on his face, looked up to see what had caught his attention, only to let out a startled shriek.

"Oh God," she exclaimed, attempting to pull on the rein, but only succeeding in startling the horse further.

"Stop, stop, stop! You're headed in the wrong direction," Amira pleaded with the horse, though they both knew it was futile.

They were just two feet away from the edge of the cliff.

Amira desperately pulled on the rein, trying to maneuver the horse away, but it refused to budge.

The cliff loomed directly in front of her. She closed her eyes, preparing for the inevitable fall, when suddenly, Zyran leaped onto her horse, expertly pulling back on the rein and veering to the side.

His strong leg wrapped tightly around Amira, drawing her close, while his hand rested on her waist, the other firmly gripping the rein and preventing the horse from taking them over the edge.

The horse came to an abrupt stop, pausing right before the cliff. They were so close to the edge that they could see the treacherous drop below, a chilling reminder of the danger they had narrowly avoided.

Amira could hear the sound of Zyran's labored breathing close to her ears. Her hair clung to her sweaty forehead, and her eyes stung from the swirling dust and overwhelming fear.

When she glanced back at Zyran, she saw his frustrated expression through the haze before a wave of exhaustion hit her, and she succumbed to unconsciousness.

Freya brought her horse to an abrupt halt and dismounted with urgency, closely followed by Ezekiel, his face creased with concern as he pulled her away from Zyran.

"Freya, why do you insist on risking your life? If something had happened to you or Amira just now... You need to be more cautious," Zeke scolded with a mixture of frustration and worry.

Ignoring the reprimand, Zyran guided the horse back to the castle with Amira, paying little attention to the tense exchange behind him.

Zeke's warning echoed in Freya's mind as she made her way back to the castle with a sense of unease.

The sky darkened as night fell, and Amira awoke to the dimly lit room. Nora's movements startled her, and she tried to sit up, a throbbing headache left her feeling disoriented.

She struggled to blink back the pain, but it persisted, making it difficult to focus.

"Princess Amira, did I wake you? I'm so sorry. Here, have some medicine that will soothe the pain," Nora said as she gently brought a bowl to Amira's lips.

Amira swallowed the warm, soothing contents of the bowl and relaxed back onto the soft, comforting bed.

"You passed out, so Prince Zyran brought you back. We were all very worried about you," Nora explained with genuine concern in her voice.

"Where's Zyran?" Amira asked, looking around for him as Nora carefully set the bowl aside.

"He had to abruptly leave to attend to some urgent matters. He should be done with it soon," Nora informed her.

"Oh, I see. And what about Freya?"

"She's been confined to her room by Duke Ezekiel. He's doing everything he can to keep her hidden from Zyran," Nora said with a chuckle at the end.

Amira smiled gratefully.

"It's late already; you should go and get some rest," Amira said to Nora, who had been keeping her company through the long night.

"I'm fine, Princess Amira. Do you need something?" Nora asked, punctuating her words with a yawn.

"Don't overexert yourself. I don't want you falling asleep on me tomorrow," Amira replied.

Nora smiled and nodded.

"Alright, Princess Amira, I will retire for the night," Nora said as she bowed before exiting the room.

Amira rested her head against the headboard, basking in the gentle flicker of the fireplace.

She soon succumbed to the call of sleep."