Chapter 55

• KELILAH'S POV
• I ran through the forest, the trees blurring as I pushed myself harder. My lungs burned with every breath, but I didn’t care. All I knew was that I had to keep running—away from my fate, my family, and the life I was being forced into. The marriage to a king I had never met loomed like a dark cloud over me. Freedom, even if temporary, was all I wanted.
• Finally, I stumbled upon a stream, its cool water shimmering under the soft glow of the moonlight. Bending down, I cupped the water in my hands and drank deeply, savoring the relief it brought me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a tiny flicker of happiness. The weight of my title and the burden of being a princess melted away. No one was here to judge me or tell me what to do. For once, I could just… be.