Soft light seeped into the tiny inn room, warming Lysandra's face. She opened her eyes slowly, expecting the shimmering white ceiling of her royal chamber.
Instead, she saw rough wooden beams and a small square window.
For a second, she panicked.
Then the memories returned—
the escape,
the streets,
the freedom.
She sat up, brushing her hair away from her face. A gentle laugh escaped her lips.
"So this is what waking up feels like without attendants tugging me out of bed," she murmured.
She stretched, something she could never do while six maids waited to dress her. The floor was cold beneath her feet, but she didn't mind.
It felt real.
---
Lysandra descended the stairs to the inn's dining area. People chatted over breakfast, bowls clinking, laughter echoing. No bows. No forced politeness. No scrutiny.
The innkeeper spotted her.
"Morning, dear! Breakfast?"
"Yes, please," Lysandra replied, unsure of the proper tone.
A bowl of porridge and a piece of warm bread were placed before her.
She blinked.
No gold plates.
No artistic fruit arrangements.
No servants waiting silently.
Just… simple food.
She took a bite and her eyes widened.
"It's… good," she whispered, almost shocked.
The innkeeper laughed. "Porridge is meant to be eaten warm, not admired from afar like nobles do."
Lysandra coughed lightly. "R-right…"
---
After breakfast, she wrapped the cloak tightly and stepped into the bustling morning streets.
Children chased each other between stalls. Merchants shouted prices. A bard tuned his instrument near the fountain.
And not a single person recognized her.
For once, Lysandra was invisible.
She inhaled deeply, letting the noisy, lively scene wash over her.
In the palace, life was suffocating silence.
Here, life was movement.
"I could get used to this," she whispered.
---
She moved quietly through the city, observing. Listening.
The palace poisoning had become the topic of the kingdom.
"the prince still hasn't woken," a baker whispered to a customer.
"they say the princess is being questioned"
"some believe there's a traitor in the palace."
Each rumor twisted Lysandra's stomach, but she forced herself to stay calm.
Information. She needed information.
She headed toward the marketplace, where gossip flowed like water. She bought a loaf of bread not because she needed it, but to blend in.
A pair of merchants were whispering beside a cart.
"Did you hear? Someone saw a royal servant sneaking into the palace kitchen last night."
"Suspicious, right?"
"But the council says nothing…"
Lysandra's ears sharpened.
A servant… in the kitchen… last night?
The night Kyler collapsed.
Coincidence? Or something more?
Before she could linger, a loud crash echoed behind her.
---
A young girl in a dark cloak stumbled while carrying a stack of crates. They tipped, scattering fruit everywhere.
"Ah! No, no, no!" the girl cried, trying to gather them quickly.
Without thinking, Lysandra rushed forward and knelt to help.
"Here," she said softly, handing her an apple. "You'll crush them if you panic."
The girl looked up, startled.
Her eyes were sharp, intelligent… but troubled.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I didn't expect anyone to help."
"People should help each other," Lysandra replied.
The girl stared at her for a long moment, as if trying to read her soul. Then she smiled faintly.
"I'm Mira," she said.
Lysandra hesitated.
She couldn't use her real name.
"Lysa," she finally said.
"Lysa," Mira repeated. "You look new here. Be careful. The city is kind, but it's also cruel."
Lysandra nodded slowly.
"I'll keep that in mind."
They parted ways…
But Mira glanced back once, a shadow passing through her eyes.
A shadow Lysandra didn't understand yet.
A shadow that would lead her closer to Serena.
And closer to the truth.
---
As the sun climbed high, Lysandra returned to a quiet alley and leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to her chest.
Three weeks.
Three weeks to solve a mystery the entire kingdom feared to touch.
"Kyler… wait for me," she whispered.
The city's noise swirled around her, but she felt strangely calm.
She had escaped her cage.
She had taken her first step into a world that was no longer predictable.
And she wouldn't go back until she had the truth in her hands.
No matter what it cost her.