Intrusive Thoughts

Yur walked behind the two girls as they led him outside the castle. He didn't care what they did; he wanted to scout the kingdom and survey the area—not merely out of interest, but for other reasons.

"He's following us openly!" one of them complained.

"What do you want me to do?" the other asked.

The two exchanged weary glances, clearly exhausted. In the past, when Julian protected them, he did so privately, allowing them to roam with peace of mind. But Yur did not; he followed them like a shadow—always near, like a chain restricting their freedom.

"Sir Yur, if you want to roam around, feel free. We know the area," Xia said hesitantly.

"I'd rather stay close, in case something happens," Yur replied, cutting off any thoughts of escaping his presence.