BETRAYAL OF DIGNITY
Part 37 ~ 2
West of Travani, Carter's capital, the Trelovian Mountains formed a series of towering cliffs. From a distance, the range resembled a lofty triangle, its terrain rough and nearly impenetrable.
The serpentine path leading through the no man's land could be traversed with a horse, but even a momentary lapse in attention could prove fatal. At that moment, galloping hooves dislodged pebbles that disappeared silently into the yawning abyss.
"Are you all right?" Laurent yelled as he led the way.
"I am fine. Do not slow down!" Chloe shouted back.
The three-hour ride from Arnauds palace had numbed Chloe's legs. The dust coated her throat and left her vision blurred, but she refused to slacken her grip on the reins. She did not wish to be more of a hindrance to Damien than she already had been.
That was the reason why she had chosen to ride alone now. She could not allow Cormier and the others to be distracted by protecting her instead of focusing on saving the person they were meant to rescue.
Please, let Damien be safe.
Chloe bit her lip hard and leaned in close to her horse as if they were one, just as she had while riding with Damien in the past.
"There is a place of exile that the royals of old used atop the Trelovian Mountains. That is where Johannes is hiding. I'm sorry, Chloe. That's all I could learn."
Upon returning from her discussion with Arnaud, Alice appeared apologetic, the corners of her eyes and mouth tinged with red. Chloe enveloped her in a tight embrace before hastily departing the palace. She understood Alice's regret at being unable to offer greater assistance, but the simple knowledge of Damien's location left her legs quivering with relief.
In their last conversation, Damien and Johannes had discussed a sacrilegious ritual involving a sacrifice where a human heart was extracted. The gruesome practice was meant to be conducted at a peak, whether that was geographical or symbolic. In Swanton, the location would have been the royal palace, but in the Duchy of Carter, where Arnaud reigned, Johannes's options were limited.
Upon learning of this, Cormier promptly launched a rescue operation for Damien. Chloes lessons for Sofie had provided her with a deep understanding of Carter's landscape, and her insight proved invaluable as they strategized. In a mountain range filled with cliffs and dense forests hindering human access, mobility was crucial, and their lack of heavy weaponry simplified their options.

"Damien, you once said that no commander outshines you, and that is a matter of pride for you," Chloe muttered to herself. She drew a deep breath, her eyes bloodshot. Seeing Laurent repeatedly glance back at her to make sure she was safe, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "Quickly! Let us go to my husband!"
The distance that had momentarily closed between her and the rest of the party began to widen again as tears spilled from her eyes. Though she felt more frustrated than ever before that her leg was hindering her progress, she had to press on.
I am coming, Damien. I'll be there as quickly as I can.
"You are a patient man," Chloe murmured, her voice barely audible against the biting wind. "I know you will wait for me." She could not allow him to leave her. 
Chloe realized once again the gravity of what she had done to him; while Damien hadn't pursued her immediately after she faked her own death, she couldn't do the same to him. She swallowed the words that threatened to spill from her like a scream.
She couldn't allow her confession to be whispered and lost to the wind; she had to deliver these words directly to him.
If I truly despised you, I would not have married you in the first place.
