On the other hand:
The road leading to the Royal Palace felt longer than usual.
Mariana sat inside the carriage, her hands resting quietly on her lap, fingers intertwined. The rhythmic sound of the wheels rolling against stone echoed faintly, but her mind was far from calm.
Adonis's words still lingered in her heart.
No one decides your fate except you.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"I will handle everything," he had said.
And she believed him.
She truly did.
But…
Mariana slowly lowered her gaze.
"I can't just rely on him for everything," she murmured softly to herself.
She was not some helpless girl.
She was a princess.
And if she wanted to stand beside him, not behind him, then she had to act.
She had to face this herself.
Sitting across from her was a tall red haired woman clad in polished armor.
Claudia.
The captain of her personal guard.
Her sharp eyes had been quietly observing Mariana the entire journey.
