The morning light filtered through the heavy curtains, casting a soft golden hue across Elara’s room. She woke slowly, a strange heaviness pressing down on her chest, as if the weight of the night’s decision was still lingering in the air. For a moment, she lay still, listening to the sounds of the castle coming to life outside her door—the soft murmur of servants passing by, the distant clang of metal as knights readied for their morning drills, the quiet chatter of the court preparing for another day.

But none of it mattered. Not anymore.

Her eyes snapped open, and the reality of the previous night came rushing back in a sudden, dizzying rush. The map. The satchel. The escape. Elara pushed herself up in bed, her hand brushing against the rough fabric of the tunic she’d carefully selected the night before. The cloak lay draped over the chair, already prepared. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, of doubts. Was she really going through with it? Was she really about to leave it all behind?

Her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her feet cold against the stone floor. She didn’t have time to waste. The castle was waking up, and she couldn’t afford to be caught. She had to move. She had to—

A knock at the door.

Elara froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her pulse quickened. It was too early for anyone to come looking for her. She’d never gotten up this early, and even if she had, she wasn’t expecting any visits. Not now. Not today.

The knock came again, firmer this time. She could hear the faint sound of someone clearing their throat, a guard, perhaps, or a servant. Whoever it was, Elara knew they wouldn’t leave without an answer.

Panic surged within her, but she quickly pushed it down. She didn’t have time to freeze up now. Her eyes darted to the window—no way out that way. The door was the only exit. But she couldn’t leave the room. Not yet.

Her thoughts raced as she grabbed the satchel from the chair, slipping it over her shoulder and making sure the map was tucked safely inside. Her gaze fell on the mirror across the room, her reflection still as composed as it had always been. But inside, everything was different. She was no longer just the princess. She was someone else. Someone who was about to take the first step away from everything she’d ever known.

The knock came again, more urgent this time. Elara’s mind whirred, thinking fast. She needed to stall, to buy herself a few more moments. She quickly walked to the door, pulling it open just a crack, keeping her face partially hidden.

“Yes?” Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it, betraying the tension coiled within her.

The guard standing in the doorway, one of the younger men who usually handled the morning routines, looked at her with a nervous expression. “Princess Elara,” he began, his voice slightly shaky. “Forgive me for disturbing you, but your presence is requested in the hall. The council is meeting, and—"

“I’ll be down shortly,” she interrupted, her tone sharp, cutting him off before he could finish. She couldn’t let him see how badly her hands were shaking, how her breath was shallow. “I need a moment. I’ll be right there.”

The guard blinked, clearly taken aback by her abruptness, but nodded quickly. “Of course, Princess. Apologies for disturbing you.”

The door closed, and Elara exhaled sharply, her breath shaky. She could still hear the faint echo of his footsteps as he moved down the hall, but she didn’t have much time. She had to leave now, before the council’s meeting dragged on for hours, before her father or any of the others could send someone to find her.

Quickly, Elara grabbed the cloak from the chair and pulled it around her shoulders, fastening the hood low over her face. She didn’t need anyone recognizing her, not yet. Her heart hammered in her chest, but her movements were swift, decisive. She crossed to the window, easing it open as quietly as possible. The chill morning air brushed her face, the coolness offering a fleeting sense of clarity.

The courtyard below was mostly empty, the servants still preparing for the day’s work. She could see the distant shapes of the guards, but they were far enough away that she could slip past undetected.

Taking a deep breath, she hoisted herself onto the windowsill and swung her legs over the side, carefully lowering herself down. The rough stone of the wall scratched against her skin, but she kept moving, inch by inch, until her feet finally touched the ground.

Elara didn’t stop to look back at the castle as she darted through the shadows of the courtyard, making her way toward the back gate. She didn’t look up at the towers, the walls that had defined her life for so long. Instead, she kept her head down, her pulse racing, only thinking of the road ahead—the unknown future that now stretched before her.

The gate loomed closer, and for the first time in a long while, Elara felt something she hadn’t felt in years: hope. It flickered in her chest like a fragile flame, but it was enough. Enough to push her forward, enough to make her believe that leaving this life behind was the only way she could truly live.

Sage had wandered through the breakfast buffet, grabbing things he thought looked good. There was no rhyme or reason to his selections....he sort of just wanted to try everything, he supposed. And this was a buffet, after all. In a castle. They had plenty of money and food....he'd take all he wanted to.

Elara woke to the pale light of dawn seeping through the curtains.

It was always too early for anything good to happen at this hour, but then again, she wasn’t really one for sleep. The endless weight of her duties, the sharp edges of her position, always pressing in, making the quiet mornings feel like another prison.

She stretched, the cool air against her skin a reminder that today was not going to be like the others. No, today she was going to do something she hadn't in a long while: escape. Just for a few hours, at least.

She slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the attendants that would usually be bustling around. She didn’t need anyone’s help today. Not yet.

Elara grabbed a simple tunic from the wardrobe—dark green, a little snug, but it worked—and pulled on a cloak to hide her identity. The pale morning sunlight caught in the fabric, but she wasn’t worried about it. The streets of the castle were empty this early. It would be easy enough to slip by unnoticed.

She paused in front of the mirror for a moment, her reflection staring back at her with cold, calculating eyes. She hated how it felt, being trapped in this role, this life. But today, she could at least breathe for a while. She was going to slip out of the palace, blend into the city, and feel like a person, not a princess.

With a quick glance over her shoulder, she grabbed a small pouch of coins from the drawer—enough to get her through the day if she needed it—and tucked it into her belt. She didn’t need much, just the freedom to wander without being watched.

Quietly, she stepped out of her chambers and into the hall. The corridors were still empty at this hour, the soft echo of her footsteps the only sound in the silence. She passed the guards stationed outside her door, their eyes heavy with sleep. They barely glanced at her as she moved past, and she fought the urge to smirk. It would be too easy to slip by them. It always was.

But there was something thrilling about it, something satisfying in knowing she was going somewhere they couldn't follow. For once, she wasn’t the golden child or the symbol of her family’s power. For once, she was just a woman, walking freely into a world she rarely got to experience.

Her heart beat faster as she neared the palace exit. She reached the massive, wooden doors that led to the outside world, a world that didn’t know her as a princess, didn’t expect her to be anything other than a person. She pushed open the door, stepping into the cool morning air, the scent of the city just waking up greeting her like an old friend.

She pulled her cloak tighter around herself and kept her head down, keeping a low profile. The streets were quieter than usual, a few early risers setting up shop or delivering goods. She slipped through the gaps between the buildings, moving quickly, easily, until she was a few blocks away from the castle.

She could already feel the change in the air, the shift from cold stone to warm cobblestones beneath her boots. For a moment, she just stood there, breathing it in. Freedom. A small taste, but a taste nonetheless.

And as she walked deeper into the city, she couldn't help but smile. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one she couldn’t deny.

For once, Elara was on her own.