The outing turned out far simpler than I expected.
No grand disguises. No elaborate plans.
Just the two of us stepping down from the carriage at the edge of town with only two guards trailing far enough behind to grant us the illusion of privacy.
The late afternoon sun hung warm and golden overhead, casting everything in a soft glow that made the streets feel almost dreamlike.
For once, no one announced us.
No one bowed.
No one scattered.
We were just another pair walking through the market.
Though some guards were nearby just in case.
It felt strangely freeing.
Elias kept hold of my hand the entire time, his thumb brushing absent circles against my skin as though he had long since forgotten he was doing it.
We stopped at small stalls, greeting merchants I recognized. A few of them stiffened when they noticed me at first, but then relaxed, offering shy smiles instead.
They remembered.
The disputes I settled. The taxes I cut. The times I ignored rank and listened.
