A Heart Divided

Chapter 26

A New Beginning

The next morning, they set out. The wind had finally died down, leaving behind a calm, crisp sky. The sun was shining, though it felt distant, almost like a reminder of everything that had been taken from Eliza.

The village of Blackthorn was far from any major road, hidden in the winding hills. Thomas had given them their new identities—Eliza was now "Eleanor," and Alden, "William." The names felt foreign on her tongue, but she tried them on as though they were a new dress, something she could wear until it fit.

Thomas also provided them with provisions—enough food and water for the journey ahead, and a small chest of coins. "You'll need this for passage," he'd said, "though you'll be moving on foot most of the way. There are inns along the way, but stay low. Stay quiet."

With the map in hand and their disguises secured, Eliza and Alden set off in the early hours of the morning. They walked in silence, the weight of their new identities heavy on their shoulders, but somehow also freeing.

The landscape around them was vast and untamed, with rolling hills, thick forests, and meadows dotted with wildflowers. Eliza had never seen the countryside like this before—had never been allowed to wander through it. She'd always been confined to the palace, to the carefully manicured gardens and the artificial beauty of royal life. But now, with the wind in her hair and the open road before her, she felt an unfamiliar sense of liberty.

Alden walked beside her, his expression distant, lost in his own thoughts. For the first time since they'd escaped, Eliza felt a pang of uncertainty. What would become of them?