Knight Captain Ortis sat frozen in his seat, the cold steel of the blade pressing against his throat sending a chill down his spine. His muscles tensed involuntarily, his hands gripping the armrests of his seat tightly as he stared into the masked eyes of his silent assailant.
"Now, tell me what you are planning, Knight Captain Ortis," the voice commanded from the other carriage, its tone dripping with malice.
Ortis swallowed hard, his throat dry as he struggled to form coherent words. "I... I..." he stuttered, his voice barely a whisper as fear gripped him tightly.
"I am... investigating... the Ásján princess," he managed to force out, the words tumbling from his lips in a desperate attempt to appease his captor.
The voice fell silent, the weight of its scrutiny bearing down on Ortis like a heavy burden. He could feel the tension in the air thickening, the hidden figure's presence looming over him like a dark shadow.
