A twig snapping had the princess on her feet and pulling on her bowstring. An arrow was pointing straight at the intruder's heart, ready to impale the life out of him.
When the man's figure came into view, Verinia lowered her arms, but she didn't release her bowstring.
It was the captain of the Empress' guard. She recalled that Graceful Consort Aredna called him Sur Elai.
He stalked out from between the trees with an unsheathed sword in his hand. The blade reflected the light streaming in through the tree crowns as a thin line, a clear statement to how sharp it was.
His depthless eyes were completely fixated on her, and the way he stared made Verinia's hair stand on end.
Sur Elai was a lean man, as were the other guards from the party that the Empress had brought with her, but he was so much more…
