Before dawn had yet broken, Caelith was summoned in haste to Firefly Lane.
When she heard Rhaegar's words, her expression changed at once.
"You will go yourself? That's too dangerous!"
"I must." His gaze did not waver. "Ilai Palewood is the key witness. If anything befalls him, the weight of the evidence we hold will be halved."
Caelith fell silent.
She knew he spoke the truth. And yet—Lunden County lay far beyond the capital, and the road between was fraught with danger.
Rhaegar took her hand firmly in his.
"Caelith," he said, his voice low, "while I am gone, you must hold steady."
She lifted her eyes to meet his. Inside them, she saw worry, reluctance… and beneath it all, an unshakable courage.
Drawing a slow breath, she nodded.
"Go without concern. This side—I will manage."
Before the first light of dawn touched the horizon, Rhaegar departed the capital with a small escort, slipping beyond the gates in silence.
