It was midday in summer. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, with not even a wisp of cloud to block its relentless rays.
Sweat drenched her clothes as Anna dragged her cracked soles onward. Her delicate body was reaching its limit, unable to withstand such a harsh environment.
Fearing she might be caught, the princess forced herself to keep moving. It had been days since her escape, though she no longer remembered how many.
She had long since left the forest and now wandered along a rocky, unfamiliar path.
Her throat burned with thirst, her lips and hands were chapped, and her stomach ached with hunger. The berries she had scavenged were long gone, and there was nothing left for her to eat.
At last, her body gave in. Her legs failed her, and she collapsed helplessly onto the ground. The soles of her feet were stained red from countless cuts earned during the arduous journey.
Anna thought of the castle—the only home she had ever known. She could neither return nor move forward.
Where should she go?
Where should she hide?
Were the Bargesians searching for her even now?
She was at her wits' end. Having lived within castle walls her entire life, she had never endured such hardship.
Though her life was not filled with luxury befitting a princess, it had still been comfortable. The only pain she had known that rivalled this was the loss of her family.
Their demise had devastated her, yet the people around her urged her to prepare for the throne. With their support, she had endured, learned, and prepared herself to rule.
But now, all of that was gone.
There was nothing left for her. Not even a kingdom called Ardel.
'Would it be better to end everything,' she wondered, 'when there was nothing left to fight for?'
The thought barely surfaced before the memory of Clara's sacrifice forcefully pushed it away. She could not allow the knightess's efforts to be wasted simply because she could not endure this suffering.
'I can't give up. Not now. Not for Clara. Not for those who died for Ardel.'
Summoning what little strength remained, Anna forced herself upright and took a step—only to freeze when she heard the rattling sound of wooden wheels approaching. She quickly hid behind a roadside boulder.
From a distance, a wagon drawn by two men came into view. Their clothes were dull and worn, and judging from their appearances, they were clearly not the Bargesians, who were known for their tanned skin, burly builds, and fierce expressions.
For the first time since her escape, Anna encountered other living souls. Relief washed over her when she realised they were not her captors.
As the wagon drew closer, she stepped out from hiding and waved her hands.
"Help! Please, help me! Water! I need water!"
She raised her shackled hands, desperation evident in her voice. The metal cuffs rubbed painfully against her wrists, the wounds worsening from her repeated attempts to break free.
"Hooo—!"
The men pulled hard on the reins. The wheels screeched as the wagon came to a halt. Staggering forward, the princess hurried toward them.
"Please, sir… I need water," she begged.
Both men stared at her strangely, their gazes sweeping over her torn clothing, which resembled little more than rags.
Her hair was tangled, her body filthy, and she looked almost deranged.
Realising how she must appear, Anna glanced down at herself before quickly lifting her hands again.
"I'm not crazy," she insisted weakly. "Please… I need water."
After a moment, one of the men climbed down and handed her a container. She seized it and drank greedily, gulping the water as if her life depended on it.
"Hey, slow down," the man chuckled. "You'll choke if you drink like that. Take it easy. We've got plenty."
He let her drink until her thirst was finally quenched.
"So… what are you doing out here alone?" he asked.
Anna lowered the container and gratefully returned it.
"Thank you, sir. I… I got lost," she said.
"Lost? Out here?" the man pressed, curiosity glinting in his eyes. "How'd you end up here?"
"I don't remember," Anna replied. After days of wandering, her sense of direction was long gone.
"Then why are you in shackles?" His gaze lingered on the metal cuffs biting into her raw skin. "A runaway?"
"The Bargesians caught me," she said urgently. "They wanted to kill me."
"Ohh… that's rough," the man said. He turned to his companion with a wink. "We can help her, right, Dean?"
"Sure," the man named Dean replied with a smirk.
The two laughed—low and unpleasant, sending a chill through Anna's spine.
Instinctively, she stepped back. Before she could retreat further, her back collided with something solid—a strong arm immediately wrapped around her waist, locking her in place.
"My, my… what good luck we have here," a man chuckled.
Anna froze in horror as she realised there were two more men behind her. She hadn't even noticed when they had crept up.
"No! Let me go! Help!" she screamed.
She struggled wildly, but it was useless. While one man restrained her, another—Bill—stepped forward and gripped her jaw.
He pulled out a clean cloth and wiped her face, then turned her head from side to side as though inspecting merchandise. He even forced her mouth open to examine her teeth.
Unable to escape his grip or the shackles binding her hands, Anna could only tremble.
"A fine one," Bill said with a grin. "Rare eye colour. She'll fetch a good price once she's cleaned up."
"We'll head to Tarnova," Jake, the one who held her, suggested. "There's an auction next Friday. Five days if we detour through the Cassian border."
"Crossing Cassian?" Brian, the wagon driver, hesitated. "They're not friendly. And we've only got one piece of merchandise."
"This one's worth it," Bill grinned. "She's better than those filthy wh*res you usually drag in."
"The guild chief said all routes are clear," Dean concluded. "Let's move. The faster we get there, the sooner we get paid."
Anna sobbed and begged, but her pleas were ignored. In moments, she was shoved into the wagon and locked inside once more.
It was as though every misfortune had conspired against her.
But, what would happen soon would change her life forever.