{The queen's necklace hides in the mud and chaos… and if I don't reach the palace before the king, my secret will be exposed}
The sun was dipping toward the horizon, painting the walls of the city of RONA in the color of blood—the very hour the princess awaited each week with a racing heart.
To everyone in the palace, the princess was in her room reading or resting. But behind closed doors, RONA shed her heavy silk gown and donned a simple, earth-colored cloak, wrapping a long veil around her face that left only her wide, curious eyes visible.
She slipped through the old servant's passage, forgotten by the guards long ago, and suddenly found herself amidst the bustling city market.
The scent of incense mixed with spices, the shouting of vendors, the clatter of carts… this was the "real world" she loved.
She stopped at a fabric stall, running her fingers over the rough wool worn by ordinary people, unaware of the young man watching her from afar, carrying heavy sacks of flour.
ALEDAN noticed a delicate grace in her movements, unlike any woman in the market, and in her eyes, the astonishment of a child seeing the sea for the first time.
Suddenly, from a distance, she spotted the king's procession heading toward the palace, moving through the main streets and drawing the guards' attention.
RONA's heart skipped a beat; if she didn't reach the secret passage before the king arrived, her secret excursion would be exposed. Each passing second added more pressure to her chest.
She froze for a moment, then ran through the crowd, bumping into shoulders and apologizing as she went.
While crossing a narrow alley leading to the palace walls, her golden necklace—the one bearing the late queen's seal—caught on the edge of a broken wooden cart.
In the blink of an eye, the chain snapped, and the necklace fell silently into the mud and chaos.
RONA didn't look back; her only concern was reaching the secret passage before the guards noticed her.
ALEDAN, who had been following her steps unknowingly, bent down and picked up something gleaming under the dim lantern light.
He brushed off the mud with his rough shirt, and his breath caught. It wasn't just a necklace—the royal seal adorned it, a mark belonging only to the palace's inhabitants.
He lifted his head to search for the veiled girl, but the alley had grown silent, leaving only the echo of her fading footsteps behind the walls.
ALEDAN clenched the gold tightly in his hand, feeling its weight—not just in value, but as a burden that could cost him his life… or change it forever.