Ayla felt her blood run cold as the leader's steely gaze fixed on her. The villagers murmured around her, their whispers growing louder, yet Ayla's feet felt rooted to the ground.
"Do you live here?" the leader demanded, her voice as sharp as her eyes.
Ayla nodded, her throat too dry to speak. She noticed the emblem on the woman's cloak—a hawk embroidered in dark red, the mark of the kingdom's elite.
The leader's eyes swept over Ayla with a look of disdain, and she continued, "As of today, all villages within this region fall under new protection orders. Any resistance will be seen as an act of treason against the kingdom." Her gaze narrowed. "You're not planning on resisting, are you?"
Ayla shook her head quickly. "No," she managed to say, glancing down, hoping her voice didn't betray her fear. She noticed Kai watching from the edge of the crowd, his arms crossed as he took in the scene, his expression unreadable.
"Good," the leader said, her tone clipped. She stepped back, signaling her soldiers to spread out through the village. "Keep out of our way, and you won't have any trouble."
As the soldiers began questioning the villagers, Ayla slipped away, her heart pounding in her chest. She found herself wandering back to the inn, where she spotted Kai leaning against the doorframe, a knowing look in his eyes.
"You weren't kidding," Ayla said, her voice barely a whisper.
"I rarely do," Kai replied, his gaze sharp as he watched the soldiers. "They're here to tighten the kingdom's grip on places like this."
"Why here? Elmreach is so… ordinary," she muttered, feeling the familiar frustration bubbling up.
Kai shrugged. "Ordinary places hide the most secrets. The kingdom knows that."
Ayla glanced at him, wondering if he knew more than he was letting on. "You're from the kingdom, aren't you? You talk like someone who's seen more than a few villages."
Kai's expression flickered, just for a moment, before he replied. "Maybe. Or maybe I just know how they operate." He looked at her intently. "Be careful, Ayla. The kingdom doesn't care who gets hurt as long as they get what they want."
Before she could ask what he meant, a crash sounded from the village square, followed by raised voices. They both turned, rushing toward the noise, only to find one of the soldiers shouting at a farmer who had refused to give up a portion of his crops.
Ayla's fists clenched as she watched. The farmer, an older man who had always been kind to her family, was pushed roughly to the ground, his produce scattered across the dirt. She glanced at Kai, who was watching her carefully.
"Are you going to just stand there?" she whispered, anger flaring in her chest.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do? They're soldiers. They have orders."
Ayla looked back at the farmer, who was now being dragged toward the edge of the square. Without thinking, she took a step forward, but Kai grabbed her arm, his voice low and warning. "Don't. This isn't your fight."
"But it's wrong!" she hissed, yanking her arm free. "I can't just watch."
With a quick intake of breath, Ayla turned and ran toward the soldiers, her heart pounding in her ears. Kai watched, a shadow of worry in his eyes, but he made no move to stop her.
Ayla didn't know what she would do or say, but as she neared the soldiers, her mind raced. She would show them that even someone as unremarkable as she could still stand up for what was right. And as she stepped forward, she noticed Kai silently following behind her, like a shadow.