Eric led the way through the forest, his hand steady in mine. The sun had begun to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the moss-covered ground. My legs ached from the run, and my chest still felt tight from the fear, but I kept moving.
We didn't speak. We just walked.
I didn't know where he was taking me, but for the first time in years, I trusted someone. That was enough.
After what felt like hours, we came to a narrow path almost hidden by tall grass and wildflowers. Eric moved aside a low-hanging branch and gestured for me to follow. The path twisted and narrowed as we went deeper into the woods. Finally, we reached a small clearing.
There, tucked between two ancient trees, was a cottage.
It looked like it had grown out of the forest itself. Vines curled up the stone walls, and the roof was covered in thick moss. Smoke drifted gently from the chimney.
Eric stepped forward and knocked three times, then paused and knocked twice more.
A moment later, the door creaked open.
An old woman stood in the doorway. Her hair was brown like chestnut, braided neatly down her back. Her eyes were sharp, pale blue, and filled with quiet strength.
She looked at Eric, then at me.
And her eyes widened.
"My stars," she whispered. "It can't be…"
Eric gave a small nod. "It is."
The woman stepped aside. "Come in. Quickly."
We entered the cottage. It was warm inside, filled with the smell of dried herbs and baked bread. Shelves lined the walls, packed with jars, scrolls, and wooden boxes. A kettle bubbled softly over the fire.
"I'm Mira," the woman said. She turned to me. "Princess Aeris… is it truly you?"
I froze.
Hearing my name like that, spoken with such care and belief, almost undid me. My throat tightened. I looked down at my hands. The hands of a maid. Not the hands of a princess.
"I… I don't know what I am anymore," I said softly.
Mira stepped closer. She touched my face gently, as if to be sure I was real. "You have your mother's eyes," she whispered. "And the fire of your father. You are her, without a doubt."
I blinked back the sting in my eyes. "Please… don't tell anyone."
She nodded once. "Your secret is safe. With my life."
Eric helped me sit by the fire while Mira poured tea and brought out a warm loaf of bread. My stomach growled at the sight. I hadn't eaten all day.
As I ate in silence, Eric and Mira spoke in low voices. I listened.
"Landre's soldiers passed through here two days ago," Mira said. "Searching for someone. I assumed it was a rebel… but now I understand."
Eric nodded. "He knows she's alive or at least suspects. We have to be careful."
Mira glanced at me. "You must stay here, Princess. It's safe. The forest hides this place well, and few know it exists."
I gave a small nod. "I'll stay. For now."
I didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But today, I needed rest. I needed safety. And this place… this small cottage in the woods… gave me both.
The next morning, I woke to the sound of birds. Real birds. Not crows or bats like in the ruins I had haunted for years. Sunlight spilled through the cracks in the shutters. I stretched slowly, my body still sore.
Mira had given me a clean dress, a scarf to cover my hair, and a soft bed of blankets on the floor by the fireplace. For the first time in a long while, I felt human again.
When I stepped outside, Eric was already awake. He stood near a fallen log, practicing with a short sword.
His movements were smooth and focused, even if a little stiff. Years of hiding had likely taken their toll.
He noticed me and lowered the blade. "Morning."
"Morning," I replied.
He motioned to the log. "Sit. We should talk."
I sat.
Eric cleaned the blade with a cloth, then began. "Things are worse than you know, Aeris."
He didn't sugarcoat it. He told me everything.
How Landre had risen quickly after Carlos vanished. How he crushed noble houses that didn't swear loyalty. He raised taxes so high that people sold their children to survive. How he used fear and violence to rule. And how whispers of rebellion were silenced before they could grow.
"They call it peace," Eric said bitterly. "But it's only silence."
I clenched my hands in my lap. "And no one resists?"
He looked at me. "They want to. But they're scared. And they have no leader."
I swallowed hard. I didn't want to be anyone's leader. Not yet. Not like this. I had just returned from death. I needed time.
Eric must have sensed my fear. "No one's asking you to rise up tomorrow," he said. "But you should prepare. If Landre is looking for you, he won't stop."
I nodded. "Then I need to be ready."
That afternoon, we began training.
It wasn't much just light footwork, balance, and breathing. I hadn't held a sword in years, and my muscles ached with every move.
But I didn't stop.
Each step, each stretch, was a promise. A promise to myself. That I would not be weak again. That I would not run forever.
At night, Mira taught me about the changes in the empire. She showed me old maps and new ones. She told me which towns had fallen, which villages had been abandoned, which names were safe to mention.
I learned in quiet, in shadow. I asked questions. I listened.
And little by little, I began to see a path.
Not a clear one. Not a safe one.
But a path forward.
A week passed. Then two.
We stayed in the forest, hidden and careful. Soldiers came close once, but they didn't find us. Mira's wards,small stones carved with old symbols,kept them away.
I dreamed often. Sometimes of the palace. Sometimes of fire. Sometimes of Carlos's face as he watched Landre pierce me with the blade.
I always woke up sweating.
But Eric was always near. Not too close. Just enough.
He didn't press me. He didn't demand I become someone I wasn't ready to be.
He waited.
And that gave me strength.
One night, as we sat by the fire, Mira handed me a small pouch. Inside were three rings simple, silver, marked with the Gorisimo's crest.
"These were your family's," she said. "I kept what I could."
I held them carefully in my hands. One had belonged to my mother. Another to my uncle. The last… I didn't know. But it felt like home.
"Thank you," I whispered.
She smiled. "You are not forgotten, Princess. Not by those who matter."
Tears stung my eyes, but I smiled back.
I wasn't ready to fight.
But I was ready to live.
And that was the first step.