We traveled for many days, with frequent rest stops along the way. Though I was never allowed to venture out into the forest alone and my wrists were kept in chains, I was still allowed to be outside and breathe the fresh air, something I had mostly been denied while living in my father's home. It had been so long that I'd forgotten what it was like to feel the sun on my skin. I quickly rediscovered that it felt wonderful.

Despite my circumstances, I basked in my newfound freedom. I stood in the sun, felt the breeze on my skin, and enjoyed the rush of bathing in a cold stream. The sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling were both nostalgic and new to me.

The Second Prince generally left me to my own devices, since I showed no intention of running away. To be honest, I didn't even consider it as an option. Even if I managed to escape, I would still be alone in the forest with my wrists chained. I would be finished as soon as night fell and the monsters came out. If I failed in my escape, I imagined that I would be subjected to more violence, something I had no desire to inflict upon myself. 

So, instead of planning to escape, I spent my time caught between the exhilaration of experiencing the world again and the dread of what awaited me when we reached the capital.

Twice along the way, we were attacked by monsters that were attracted by the fires from our camp. I'd known it was a possibility, but it was a cold dose of reality to actually encounter them. As a child, I'd known to avoid the forest at night, so monsters were just scary stories to me.

The first attack was a group of goblins, small in stature but known for being persistent and vicious. The Second Prince's knights slaughtered them before they even got past the border of our camp. I slept through the entire encounter and only learned of it the next morning. 

The second attack was a different story. A lone dire wolf crept up on us in the middle of the night. It snuck past the watch, and was already at the center of our camp when I was awoken by the sound of its howling. The dire wolf was huge, almost as big as the carriage I'd rode in, with filthy, matted fur and a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth. I had watched the battle from my tent, peering through the door flaps, terrified to death. When they finally destroyed it, the foul stench of the creature's blood permeated the entire camp.

We lost three days of travel time due to the damage caused by the dire wolf. The Second Prince showed surprising concern for his subordinates, not hesitating to order several days of rest so the injured could recover. He even contacted a healer from the nearest village to tend to the wounded. I hadn't expected that from him, as he didn't seem like a man who cared about others. But those men were his personal knights, so they were likely noble born and entitled to some degree of care.

The days we rested in that clearing were some of the most peaceful I'd had since childhood. Each morning I would wake before dawn and watch the sun rise over a nearby lake. I could sit for hours, appreciating the beauty of the transition from night to day. 

From the blackness of the night, the sky would be illuminated in shades of indigo as the sun approached the horizon. Then I would wait in anticipation for the first glimmer of red to appear on the horizon, trying to capture every detail in my mind as the sky turned from red to orange before finally becoming the brilliant blue of daylight. 

After being denied the simple pleasures of life for so long, the rising sun felt like a miracle being shown just to me, alone on that flat rock by the lake. 

After the sunrise, I would wash in the lake and return to camp. We would break our fast on dried fruit and boiled grains, and then I was free to roam around the area. The Second Prince had business to attend to, and there weren't enough able-bodied knights remaining, so I was essentially allowed to wander as I pleased. The direwolf's attack was considered a better escape deterrent than any punishment they could threaten me with.

They were right, of course. I wasn't afraid of the forest animals, but I didn't want to risk dying at the hands, or claws, of whatever might come out at night. So I always returned to camp before the sunset turned to twilight and I never once considered risking the forest on my own. 

After the third night, we broke camp and continued our journey to the capital, the city of Luz Dorada in the heart of Vrayna. Through the carriage windows, I tirelessly watched the passing scenery while the Second Prince worked on the piles of paperwork he'd brought with him for the journey. I marveled at the variety of plants and trees I saw, occasionally spotting a bird on a branch or a wild animal in the bushes. 

The next day, the forest gave way to fields of tall grass, and small farms began appearing on both sides of the road. One farm, which I wished we could pass more slowly, had cows grazing in the field. I hadn’t seen a cow since I was a child. With their black and white spots and those low, drawling moos, I could have stayed and watched them for days.

"Tsk. They're just cows," the Second Prince muttered when he saw my unbridled enthusiasm at the sight. 

I was aware of my own childish behavior, but I didn't care. This might be my only chance to experience such things. 

I shrugged and continued to stare out the window.