"Princess, I did not expect to see you here. A place like this is well- beneath your status," the familiar voice of her best friend echoed through her ears.
Her eyes widened in shock, he finally caught up with her. She was busy baking some bread in the oven and has her back turned on him. But she knows, the gods know that she knows. It was him.
She debated whether to attempt to run or to face him. But this time, there is no escaping him.
She felt her body tremble when she felt his hands circle her waist, pulling her closer to himself. "Maru," his arms secured her against his chest as he whispered, "I finally found you."
She couldn't move, no. The gods know she tried so hard to escape him, them, and her fate. How can she get caught like this?
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"This is not the way to the palace," she frowned as she looked at the carriage window.
"I know," his baritone voice did not even sound concerned.
