'Rescue Mission'

A few hours earlier...

The scent of blood still clung to the air, the aftermath of the ambush evident in the lifeless bodies strewn across the dirt road just outside the Dead Forest. The dying light of the sun cast eerie shadows against the towering, skeletal trees.

Knights moved with grim efficiency, collecting the fallen, their expressions hardened with grief and duty. Eight carriages stood still, their occupants silent and tense. Two of them held the princesses, their worried eyes peeking from behind the drawn curtains, hushed whispers barely audible over the rustling leaves.

"I see..." Heinz murmured, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of authority. Lancelot and Lucius knelt before him, having just relayed the details of the attack.