Who would have thought that spending a night in a cell could turn out to be a blessing in disguise?

Just yesterday, she had been dragged through the streets like a criminal over a stolen bun, and now she was leaving the palace with enough money to keep them fed for some time. It still felt unreal to Rosalind.

For the first time since arriving in Merovia, relief loosened something inside her chest. She could finally buy anything without counting every coin over and over again. Her mother could continue taking her medicine, and maybe Mallory would stop looking at her like everything was falling apart.

Rosalind smiled to herself as she hurried back toward the house, already imagining how shocked they would be when she returned carrying two bags filled with food, and despite everything, she still had enough coins left.

The streets were busy as usual, filled with merchants calling out prices and children weaving through crowds, but Rosalind barely paid attention to any of it. Her thoughts remained on the queen instead.

The queen had been unexpectedly generous to a stranger she barely knew, especially someone of such low status, and her kindness had left a warmth in Rosalind’s heart.

Rosalind sighed softly as her thoughts returned to the present. She had not heard from her mother or Mallory since yesterday, and she knew the moment she stepped inside, they would overwhelm her with worried questions.

Still, despite everything that had happened, it had somehow turned out for the best.

As Rosalind turned into the quieter part of the street leading toward the house, her steps gradually slowed...

Something was wrong.

The area ahead was too silent.

Her brows creased as she noticed people gathered around the house from a distance, whispering among themselves. A cold feeling slid down her spine immediately and she started walking faster.

When she saw the soldiers, her heart dropped violently.

Men dressed in Eryndor’s royal colors stood outside the house while horses waited nearby. Some guards were positioned around the entrance while others searched through the small home without care, throwing things aside.

Rosalind stopped breathing for a moment.

No.

No, no, no.

Her feet moved backward instinctively, but before she could turn away, one of the guards spotted her.

"There!" he shouted loudly. "That’s her!"

Every head snapped toward Rosalind at once.

Fear exploded through her body and she immediately turned to run, but two guards rushed from the side street and grabbed her before she could get far. Rosalind struggled instantly, panic swallowing her whole.

"Let me go!" she shouted as they restrained her arms tightly.

"We finally found her," another guard breathed heavily.

Rosalind’s eyes darted wildly toward the house. "Mother!" she cried out.

Mallory was dragged outside by another guard, her hands bound tightly behind her back. Beth was beside her, looking pale and frightened while trying to steady herself.

The moment Rosalind saw them tied up because of her, guilt crashed into her chest so hard it almost hurt to breathe.

"Rosalind!" Beth called weakly, panic filling her voice.

Mallory’s face was filled with anger and fear at once. "Look at what has happened!" she snapped, though her voice trembled. "I told you this would happen!"

Rosalind shook her head frantically. "Please let them go. They didn’t do anything!"

The captain of the guards approached her slowly, his expression cold and unreadable. "Lady Rosalind Calder," he said firmly, "by order of His Majesty King Alaric of Eryndor, you are to return with us immediately."

Rosalind’s face drained of color.

"No..." she whispered.

"You fled the palace without permission and aided treason against the crown. You are under royal custody until you are returned to Eryndor."

The words hit her hard.

Under royal custody...

Rosalind swallowed hard as tears burned painfully behind her eyes. Around them, the people of Merovia whispered among themselves while staring at her with curiosity and pity.

"She’s from another kingdom?"

"She escaped from somewhere?"

"Didn’t they say she stole yesterday too?"

The humiliation only made her chest tighten further.

"I’ll go with you," Rosalind said shakily. "Just don’t hurt them."

The captain studied her for a moment before nodding. "If there is no resistance, no harm will come to them."

Rosalind finally stopped struggling and the guards loosened their grip slightly, though they still held her firmly in place.

Her gaze lifted toward the house one last time, toward the small place that had briefly felt peaceful despite everything. She had only just begun to believe she could survive here.

And now it was over.

Rosalind couldn’t understand how everything had fallen apart so quickly. How many days had it been since she left Eryndor? How had Alaric found her already?

She did not yet know that the elite guards had arrived in Merovia the day before, moving without rest because they knew their king’s patience was nonexistent.

Once there, they had coordinated with local authorities, presenting the royal decree and the reward for her capture. It had not taken long for her identity to surface. People remembered the commotion at the market, and the thief who had vanished into the crowd. From there, it had been easy to trace her location. Mallory and Beth had been taken first, and Rosalind had walked straight into the trap without knowing.

By the time they reached the outskirts of Merovia, the local guards confirmed her capture.

"She’s been found?" one of them asked.

"Yes," an Eryndor elite guard replied. "Thank you for your cooperation. His Majesty will be pleased."

Without further delay, they were escorted onto a waiting boat. Rosalind, Beth, and Mallory were taken aboard under heavy guard, and soon the vessel pushed away from Merovia’s shores.

Rosalind watched as the land faded into the distance, her chest tightening with every passing moment.

"What do we do now?" Beth asked quietly.

Mallory shook her head slightly. "Nothing. There are too many guards. We can’t escape this."

Rosalind said nothing, but her heartbeat only grew heavier as Eryndor drew closer with every wave.

****

Three days had passed.

Verity was forced to her knees before the throne, still bound, her body trembling from exhaustion and fear. She could hardly believe this was happening. She had done nothing and yet she was being prepared for execution as though her life meant nothing at all.

The king leaned back in his seat, calm and unbothered, as if he were merely passing time.

"You should be hoping the traitor returns soon," Alaric said lightly, a cruel smile tugging at his lips. "Otherwise, when the sands run out, you may finally get a reunion with your dead lover."

Verity’s fists tightened behind her back, her nails digging into her palms. The threat hung in the air like a blade above her neck.

In front of her, the sand in the timer continued to fall.

Was this really the end of her?

Was she truly going to die here, at the hands of this cruel tyrant? Verity had never imagined her life would come to this.

Actually, everything had changed for the worse the moment the king stepped into it, tearing through it like a storm she could not survive. He had taken the man she loved, killed him without hesitation, all so he could force himself on her. The memory still haunted her, sharp enough to make her chest ache with every breath.

She missed him. More than she could put into words. Every night, she saw him in her dreams, as if her mind refused to accept that he was gone. And now, as she knelt there bound and waiting for death, a strange thought crossed her mind, perhaps it would be easier to join him than to keep enduring this life.

And yet, even in that despair, a part of her hoped Rosalind would never be found. That somehow, against everything, she would escape and live a life far away from all of this. At least someone should get that chance.

The sand continued to fall, grain by grain, until there was almost nothing left.

Alaric finally looked away with a slow, unbothered motion. "Let the execution begin," he ordered.

The guards moved at once.

Verity was seized, her body dragged forward as her heart pounded violently in her chest. Just as they began to escort her out of the throne hall...

"Your Majesty... we brought the traitor." The voice cut through the hall like a blade.

Rosalind stumbled forward under the force of the guards, followed closely by Beth and Mallory, all of them forced to their knees on the cold stone floor.

Verity froze mid-step.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

No. This cannot be happening.

Alaric rose slowly from his throne, his gaze locking instantly onto Rosalind and a deeply unsettling smile spread across his face.

"Welcome back, little one. I’ve missed you terribly." Alaric said while stepping forward, his smile never fading like he had been waiting for this exact moment.