The carriage wheels rumbled beneath me, each turn echoing the dread twisting in my chest. Silk pooled around my legs, the heavy folds of my wedding dress feeling more like chains than fabric. Every stitch reminded me of the future that waited in the stone castle ahead—an arranged marriage, a crown I did not want, and a life chosen for me rather than by me.

I pressed a trembling hand to the window, watching the forest blur past. For a moment, I imagined opening the door, fleeing into the shadows between the trees, running until the court could never find me again. The thought was sweet, intoxicating… and painfully impossible.

A deep breath caught in my throat when the carriage suddenly lurched to a stop. The horses whinnied sharply. Shouts erupted outside—guards scrambling, steel drawn.

Before I could call out, the door was yanked open with startling force. Cold air rushed in, carrying the scent of pine and smoke. And standing in the doorway was a woman I had never seen before.

Her hair was wild, windswept like she belonged to the forest itself. Leather armor clung to her frame, dusted with leaves and the faintest trace of blood—fresh from a hunt, or something far more dangerous. Her eyes locked onto mine with fierce determination, as if she had been searching for me alone.

“Come with me,” she ordered, voice low and urgent.

I froze, unable to make sense of her presence. “W-who are you?”

“No time.” She reached for my wrist, her calloused fingers wrapping around my gloved hand. Her touch was strong, unyielding, and yet inexplicably gentle—as though she feared she might hurt me. “If you stay, you won’t escape the life they’ve forced on you. Trust me, Princess.”

Hearing her use my title sent a jolt through my chest. She knew exactly who I was.

Before I could protest, she pulled me from the carriage, lifting me effortlessly despite the cumbersome dress. My breath hitched as she swept me up onto her horse, the warmth of her body pressing against my back. The forest stretched before us, dark and vast, promising danger… and freedom.

As the horse surged forward, leaving my escort shouting in chaos behind us, I clung to her cloak. Her heartbeat was steady against my cheek, grounding me in a moment that felt too unreal to grasp.