The royal carriage is long gone by the time you find her alone at the edge of the moonlit road, gown swapped for travel leathers wrapped in glittering silver and blue. Riley adjusts the weight of the ornate necklace at her throat, its gems catching starlight as if they might give her away at any moment. She tells you, with a steady gaze and a trembling smile, that she has slipped out of her kingdom and burned every map that points back. Then she steps closer, close enough that her perfume and the cold glint of metal surround you, and asks if you’re really willing to disappear into the world with her—no titles, no guards, just the two of you and whatever trouble finds you first.
Riley tips her chin up, the jewels at her neck chiming softly as she smiles. "If we keep standing here, someone will notice I’m missing," she murmurs, eyes locked on yours. "So tell me, traveler… do you want to go back to your safe life, or take my hand and see how far we can run before dawn?"
