The carriage was smaller than I expected.
Not cramped, exactly, but… close. Intentionally so, I suspected. Whoever designed it clearly believed newly married allies should either bond quickly or be forced to acknowledge each other's existence.
I sat on one side, hands folded in my lap because I didn't know what else to do with them, while Caelan took the opposite seat. Our knees didn't touch, but they were close enough that I was very aware of the space between us. Or the lack of it.
The door shut with a solid click.
And just like that, we were alone.
The carriage lurched forward, wheels rolling over stone, then dirt, and finally settling into a steady rhythm as we left the palace grounds behind.
I watched through the small window as the familiar outlines of my kingdom slipped away.
Huh.
So that's it.
I waited for the panic. The sudden realization that I'd made a terrible mistake. The dramatic urge to cry or scream or throw myself against the door and demand to be let out.
None of it came.
Instead, I felt oddly… neutral. Like my emotions were stuck somewhere behind me, still packing.
"That was quieter than I expected," I said after a moment.
Caelan glanced at me. "The departure?"
"Yes. I thought there'd be more… ceremony. Or crying. Or at least someone dramatically waving."
"There was," he said. "You just didn't see it."
That made me snort. "Good. I don't think I could've handled that."
He hummed in what might have been agreement, then went back to watching the window. Not nervously but not relaxed either. Just alert, like someone who didn't believe in letting their guard down.
We rode like that for a while. The carriage rocking gently, the world outside slowly changing from familiar roads to narrower paths. Trees began to appear more frequently, their branches stretching closer together overhead.
I shifted in my seat. "How far are we from the border?"
"Still within human land," he replied. "But not for long."
That should've worried me more than it did.
I glanced outside again. "Is it always this quiet?"
"No."
I looked at him. "That was a very short answer."
He met my gaze. "Would you like a longer one?"
"…Not if it's worse."
A faint smile tugged at his mouth. "It is."
Of course it is.
The carriage slowed slightly. Not enough to stop, but enough for me to notice. My stomach tightened, the calm I'd been clinging to finally cracking.
"Is that normal?" I asked.
Caelan didn't answer right away. His attention had sharpened, His posture subtly shifting. He leaned forward, eyes narrowing as he focused on something outside.
"No," he said quietly. "It isn't."
The horses snorted, their pace uneven now. I heard voices outside, low, tense and the unmistakable sound of metal shifting.
I swallowed. "Caelan?"
"Stay where you are," he said, already moving. "And whatever happens, don't open the door."
"That's… not ominous at all."
He looked back at me then, expression serious but not panicked. "I need you to trust me."
I nodded, even though my heart had started racing.
The carriage jolted.
Not violently, but enough that I grabbed the seat to steady myself.
"What's happening?" I whispered.
"They've found us sooner than I hoped," he replied.
"They?" I echoed.
He hesitated, just for a second. "People who don't approve of what I am."
The words sank in slowly. "You mean—"
"Half-fae," he confirmed. "Among other things."
Before I could ask anything else, the carriage rocked hard to the side. I yelped, instinctively reaching out — and Caelan caught me, his grip firm and steady.
"Sorry," he muttered. "This part gets messy."
Messy was one word for it.
The sound outside exploded into chaos — shouting, steel clashing, horses rearing. The carriage door rattled violently.
I clutched Caelan's sleeve. "Are they trying to kill you?"
"Yes."
My breath hitched. "Is that… common?"
He didn't answer.
The door was wrenched open.
Cold air rushed in, along with a figure silhouetted against the fading light. Their eyes glowed faintly, okay so definitely not human.
They didn't look at Caelan.
They looked at me.
"Well," the stranger said, smiling slowly. "This just got interesting."
Caelan moved instantly, stepping in front of me, fury flashing across his face. "She's not part of this."
The stranger laughed softly. "You really think that?"
My pulse thundered in my ears. "Think what?" I demanded.
Their gaze flicked back to mine, sharp and knowing.
"That she's just human."
The world seemed to tilt.
"What does that mean?" I asked, my voice shaking now.
Their smile widened.
"You'll find out soon enough, Princess."
And then the carriage lurched violently forward...