Getting That One Valuable Person Back

The journey north was uneventful at first. Bruno, accompanied by Captain Vallier and a dozen royal guards, rode through the countryside, observing the slow recovery of the land.

Fields that had been burned during the war were beginning to show signs of regrowth. Farmers, once displaced, were returning to their lands. But there were also signs of unrest—villages where the people eyed the royal banners with suspicion, remnants of Republican influence still lingering.

Vallier, riding beside Bruno, watched the roads carefully. "Are you certain about this, Your Highness? Moreau is brilliant, but he is also stubborn. What if he refuses?"

Bruno kept his eyes on the road ahead. "Then I convince him."

Vallier smirked. "And if words fail?"

Bruno's expression darkened. "They won't."