Soon after, Head Guard Leonides opened the gate to the prison and immediately sought forgiveness from Abdul Malik. With a cold, disdainful look, Malik simply said, "We'll see about that," before ordering the guards to arrest Eric. Chara, who had been lingering nearby, overheard the entire conversation. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he ran straight to our house and breathlessly relayed the news.
The entire household was thrown into tension as Chara detailed what had transpired. "You need to hide or leave this county," he advised urgently, his usual cheerfulness replaced by a stern, serious tone. "This could get much worse."
We asked about Eric's fate, and Chara's response sent a chill through me. "If things don't escalate, Lord Suleiman might sentence him to ten years of imprisonment. But..." Chara hesitated, knowing the next words would be hard to hear. "Eric has beaten a noble. That could lead to the death penalty since only a noble is permitted to punish another noble."
The despair I felt at that moment was overwhelming. I looked around the room, trying to process what Chara had just said. "Elara," I finally managed, my voice thick with emotion, "pack the necessities. Don't mention any of this to Lily—make up some excuse about why we're leaving town."
Joshua, ever reliable, immediately offered to help us leave the town safely. Grateful for his support, I told him that I would entrust our house and everything in it to him. It was better than letting it all be seized by the lord. Joshua assured me that he would keep us informed about everything happening in the town after we left.
With no clear destination in mind, we began to prepare for our departure. Elara, always quick-thinking, suggested we take a ferry to the city of Tangier. From there, she said, she could guide us to a small tribal town where we might find refuge. "There's no influence of any kingdom there," she explained, "though that region is known for its tribal dynastic wars."
With a heavy heart, we packed our belongings, said our goodbyes to the life we once knew, and prepared to move out of the land that had been our home. The future was uncertain, and danger loomed over us, but we had no choice but to keep moving forward