The sun had barely risen when Princess Liria and Prince Belin, along with their loyal guards and Tia, began their long journey to Midland. The air was thick with the quiet of the early morning, the kind of silence that weighed heavily on the heart. Their horses trotted steadily along the dirt path, each step a reminder of the perilous road ahead. The events of the past days weighed on Liria's mind—her mother's and her father's fate, and the fear of what lay ahead. Every step she took felt like a silent prayer for her family, for the kingdom they had fled, and for herself.
Behind the carriage, Prince Belin rode quietly. His face, normally filled with confidence, was now a mask of worry. He was a warrior, a protector, yet he had never been faced with such helplessness. His role as the eldest son, the crown prince, should have been to defend the castle, to protect the royal family. Instead, he had watched it fall apart around him, and now, with his sister and their small company of guards, he was on the run.
The quiet of the forest surrounding them seemed to reflect their inner turmoil. The trees stood tall, as though they too were waiting, watching, for some unknown fate to unfold. There was no sense of peace in the stillness. Every rustling of leaves, every creak of branches, made Liria's heart race. What if the assassins found them again? What if they were being followed? The thought gnawed at her constantly, like a dull ache in her chest.
"Do you think they're safe?" Liria asked, breaking the silence. Her voice was barely a whisper, as though speaking louder might make it more real.
Prince Belin glanced over at her. His expression was unreadable, but Liria could see the concern in his eyes. "I don't know, Liria. I wish I could say they're safe. I pray they are. But right now, we have to focus on getting to Midland. We have no choice."
Liria nodded, though the knot in her stomach tightened. She wanted to believe her brother, but the doubt never left her. Her mind often returned to the last moments she had seen her mother, her face full of determination yet shadowed with worry. Queen Namia was strong, but even the strongest could be broken. She thought of her father, King Mathias, and the family they had left behind. What were they enduring right now? Were they alive? She feared they might never know.
"I miss them," Liria murmured, her voice barely audible. "I miss them so much, Belin. I wish we could've done more."
Her brother's gaze softened, but he said nothing at first. He knew exactly how she felt, for he too had left a part of his heart behind. His thoughts often turned to their mother and father, and he couldn't shake the guilt of leaving them to face whatever horrors the assassins had in store. His instincts screamed that they should've stayed and fought, but the practical part of him knew that staying would have meant certain death.
"They're strong, Liria," he said finally. "You know that. They'll survive. And we will too."
They continued their ride in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The journey ahead was long, with Midland still days away. The path they followed wound through dense forests, past winding rivers, and over hills, where the landscape would sometimes open up to reveal sweeping vistas of the land they had once known. Yet now, even the beauty of the land seemed unfamiliar, as if it had changed in the time they had been gone.
At midday, the group stopped to rest beside a small clearing in the forest. Tia, ever the attentive servant, set about preparing food for the group, while the guards kept watch. Liria and Belin found a quiet spot near the edge of a small lake, its surface glistening like a mirror under the midday sun. The lake, nestled between the trees, seemed like a peaceful oasis in the midst of their otherwise tense journey.
Liria sat on a rock by the water's edge, her feet dipping into the cool water. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the stillness of the lake calm her. The sound of birds calling in the trees and the gentle lapping of the water against the shore were a temporary escape from the constant worry that gnawed at her.
Belin sat down beside her, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. He glanced over at his sister, noticing the way she kept her gaze fixed on the water, her face drawn in concern. She looked so much like their mother, yet there was a sadness in her eyes that Belin had never seen before.
"How are you holding up?" he asked, his voice soft.
Liria shrugged slightly, as if the weight of her emotions were too much to put into words. "I don't know anymore," she confessed. "Everything feels so… wrong. I don't know what's going to happen next, Belin. And I don't know how to keep pretending everything will be fine. I miss them. I miss home."
Belin sighed, looking out at the water too, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of his own swirling thoughts. "I know, Liria. I miss them too. But we can't stay in the past. We have to keep moving forward. For them. For the kingdom."
They were both silent for a moment, the weight of their situation hanging heavily in the air. Then Belin reached over and placed a reassuring hand on his sister's shoulder. "We'll get through this. I promise you that."
Liria nodded, though her mind continued to race. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to trust that their parents were somehow out there, still alive, still fighting. But the uncertainty of the future was overwhelming, and there were times when it felt like everything was slipping through her fingers.
Their quiet moment was interrupted by a loud voice from across the clearing. One of the guards, Banrik, was calling them over. "Your Highness, Tia! The fish are ready!" he shouted, a grin on his face. The fire had been lit, and the smell of cooking fish wafted through the air, momentarily distracting them from their worries.
Liria stood and walked over to the fire, where Tia was handing out portions of fish to everyone. The meal was simple—fresh fish from the lake, roasted over the open flame—but it was enough to satisfy their hunger. For a brief moment, as they sat around the fire, the world seemed to slow down. The crackling of the flames, the warmth of the fire against the chill of the evening air, and the soft chatter of the guards created a fleeting sense of normalcy in the midst of the chaos.
Tia sat beside Liria, handing her a piece of fish and offering a small smile. "You should try to get some rest tonight, Princess," she said softly. "It's been a long day."
Liria nodded, but her mind remained restless. "I'll try."
As night fell, the stars began to twinkle in the sky above, a sea of light that stretched on endlessly. The group settled down for the night, wrapping themselves in blankets by the fire. The flickering light of the flames cast shadows on the trees, and the sounds of the forest seemed to grow louder as the night wore on. Yet, in the midst of it all, Liria couldn't shake the unease that settled in her chest.
She lay on her back, staring up at the sky, the weight of everything pressing down on her. Her mother. Her father. The kingdom. What would happen if they never saw each other again? Would the kingdom fall without their parents? Could she and Belin ever be strong enough to carry the weight of the crown on their shoulders?
Next to her, Belin lay awake as well. His thoughts mirrored hers—thoughts of their family, their kingdom, and the uncertainty of the future. But he didn't speak of these worries. Instead, he stared up at the stars, trying to find some small glimmer of hope in the vastness of the night sky.
"We'll keep moving forward," he whispered in the darkness, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside him. "We'll survive. For them."
Liria turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with gratitude. She didn't know how long it would take, or what the future held, but she knew that with her brother by her side, they would face whatever came next together. They would keep moving forward—one step at a time.
As the fire died down and the night grew colder, the siblings drifted into a restless sleep, knowing that their journey was far from over. Tomorrow, they would continue their trek to Midland, hoping that it would bring them closer to safety. But for now, they could only find solace in the quiet of the forest and the warmth of their small, fleeting campfire.