The attack happened during Iliana's journey to Azaire. It was at the early rise of the rebellion, when whispers of unrest were only just beginning to solidify into something dangerous, slowly gaining a stronghold in the eastern region of Lamora.
She had made the trip many times before and the road to Azaire was familiar to her. But because Azaire bordered the troubled eastern region of Lamora, the route her envoy usually relied on had grown increasingly unsafe.
With unrest in the region swelling by the day, her guards decided on a different, much longer path that was bound to add days to their journey.
The new route was unfamiliar, a stretch of wilderness she had only ever seen on old maps and military charts. Still, they had already traveled too far to turn back. All they could do was press forward and hope the road remained as quiet as it appeared.
