The forest was quiet. Only their footsteps and the rustling leaves could be heard. Eryan and Seraphina had been walking for hours, staying far from the roads to avoid the King's soldiers.
"We need to rest," Eryan said, pointing to a small clearing. "You're tired."
Seraphina nodded and sat on a fallen log. Eryan began collecting sticks to make a fire. The cold air made her pull her cloak tighter.
"Eryan," she said softly, her voice shaking.
He stopped and looked at her. "What's wrong?"
She hesitated, staring at the ground. "There's something I need to tell you. Something about why my father made us stop being friends."
Eryan frowned. "It wasn't just because I'm a commoner?"
She shook her head. "No. It's more than that. When I was born, a seer gave my father a prophecy. She said I would one day share a bond with someone who could change the future of Eldria. That person wouldn't be from the royal family."
Eryan blinked, surprised. "A prophecy?"
"Yes," she said, looking into his eyes. "My father thought it was you. He was afraid you'd take away his power, so he made me stay away from you."
Eryan was quiet, trying to understand. "So... he wasn't just angry. He was scared of me?"
She nodded. "He was scared of what we could become."
Eryan sat next to her, his mind spinning. "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I didn't know how to," she whispered. "But now... I'm tired of following his rules. I want to choose my own path."
Eryan reached for her hand and held it gently. "You're not alone, Sera. We'll figure this out together."
Seraphina smiled, feeling safer with him by her side. But then, in the distance, they heard it: hoofbeats.
The King's soldiers were getting closer.