The capital was far louder than Oliver liked.
Carriages rattled past, merchants shouted over one another, and the smell of roasted bread mixed with horse sweat and mana-infused incense. For someone who had spent most of the last month wandering through quiet forests and forgotten ruins, the noise felt like a living creature clawing at his ears.
The royal procession stopped before a fork in the road — one leading toward the palace, the other toward the city's merchant and adventurer districts.
Elisha turned toward him from her carriage window, her hood pushed back now that they were safely within the inner walls. Her golden hair gleamed under the sun. "Oliver," she said, "you should come with us. The palace will provide food, lodging, and security. You've earned it a hundred times over."
Oliver shook his head before she'd even finished. "I appreciate it, Princess, but that's not really my kind of place."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "You'll be treated well. I'll make sure of it."
