They stepped through a private transit array, and the scenery shifted from the bureaucratic ivory of the capital to a more rugged, untamed grandeur. This was Isabella's personal estate—a sprawling fortress-palace of white stone nestled against the jagged peaks of the Eastern Frontier.
"I prefer it here," Isabella said, walking toward a wide, open-air balcony that overlooked a massive expanse of dark, misty forests and towering peaks. "My father's palace has too many eyes. Here, the air is sharper, and the rules are... flexible."
She pointed a gloved finger toward a distant, purple-hued mountain range that pierced the clouds like broken teeth. "Do you see those mountains, Ethan? That is the Border of Sorrows. It marks the edge of our kingdom and the beginning of the Crimson Sect's outer territories. That range is a 'Free Field.' My garrison stays to the north to guard the main passes, and the Sect stays to their own side, but the valley in between is a lawless zone."
