Morning arrived softly.
The capital was quieter than usual in the early hours. Thin fog drifted between the tall buildings, and the streets were still half empty.
A simple carriage waited near Allan's house.
Two horses stood calmly at the front, their breath forming small clouds in the cold air.
Jennie adjusted the strap of a small travel bag and climbed inside.
Aria followed quietly.
The carriage door closed with a soft wooden click.
Outside, Allan stood near the gate of the house.
He had already said everything he needed to say.
The driver flicked the reins.
The carriage began to move.
The wheels rolled slowly across the stone road as the capital began sliding past the windows.
For a while, neither Aria nor Jennie spoke.
The city streets gradually grew wider.
The tall buildings slowly became smaller.
Eventually, Aria leaned slightly toward the window.
Her eyes followed the two creatures pulling the carriage.
They moved steadily along the road, their hooves striking the stone in a steady rhythm.
Aria watched them carefully.
Then she spoke quietly.
"…What is that?"
Jennie followed her gaze.
"The horses?" she said.
Aria nodded slowly.
Jennie smiled a little.
"They're animals."
"They help pull carriages and carry goods."
Aria watched them for another moment.
Then she hesitated.
"…Tck… tck…"
The sound was awkward and uncertain.
Jennie blinked.
Then she laughed quietly.
"Oh."
"You noticed that."
Aria looked at her.
Jennie tapped lightly near the side of her mouth.
"That sound isn't part of any word," she explained.
"It's just something my mouth does."
She gave a small shrug.
"I was born with a slightly defective mouth."
Aria tilted her head.
Jennie continued calmly.
"That's why my speech sounds strange sometimes."
The carriage wheels rolled steadily along the road.
Jennie leaned back against the seat.
"You heard Allan call me a Murk earlier, right?"
Aria nodded slightly.
Jennie looked out the window.
"Despite what most people think… Murk isn't really a race."
She paused for a moment.
"It's a word used for people with too many mixed bloodlines."
"Over time the mixing causes defects."
Her fingers touched her lips lightly.
"Speech problems. Weak bones. Strange growth patterns."
She smiled faintly.
"My mouth is one of those defects."
Aria remained silent.
Jennie continued looking out the window as the massive walls of the capital slowly approached in the distance.
"Because of that," she said quietly, "Murks usually can't marry members of the common races."
Aria blinked once.
Jennie folded her hands together.
"Even if they do… children almost never happen."
Her expression shifted slightly.
Not quite sadness.
But something close.
The carriage passed beneath the enormous stone gate of the capital.
The city slowly disappeared behind them.
Jennie exhaled softly.
"But Allan married me anyway."
Aria looked at her.
Jennie smiled again, though the smile was smaller this time.
"He said he didn't care," she said softly."But I can tell he wanted children."
Her fingers tightened slightly in her lap.
"It's the one thing I can't give him."
She let out a quiet breath.
"I know it's complicated… but when Allan promises something, he always means it."
Jennie turned toward Aria.
"So when he said he would find your daughter…"
She gave a small, reassuring smile.
"He will."
The carriage continued down the long road.
Fields slowly replaced buildings.
The capital grew distant behind them.
Aria turned toward the window.
Far behind them, near the gate, a thin figure stood beside the road.
Allan raised one hand.
He waved slowly.
Jennie leaned toward the window and waved back.
Aria watched silently.
The carriage continued forward.
The road stretched toward the distant horizon.
And for the first time in her life…
Aria was leaving the city that had once been her entire world.