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“And your family still lives there?”

There was a pause. “No.” Martine replied.

“I’ve heard so much about it, and I would like to visit. Will you accompany me?”

Martine’s brow furrowed. “Nouchenne was cleared by order of the king. That is why my family is no longer there but rather in the neighboring village.”

Dagmara had heard the rumors that King Claude had eradicated towns throughout Ilusauri with no warning. Cleared? What did it actually mean?

“Why was it cleared?” Dagmara ventured.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Dagmara’s mouth was agape. “You don’t know why the king is clearing towns?”

“No.”

“But Nouchenne is your hometown. Aren’t you curious?”

“It is my duty to serve the king, not ask questions of him,” Martine snapped. “Why are you so curious?”

“I know nothing about him, and yet, I am to marry him,” Dagmara replied.

“He is an honorable leader.”

“Well, you’re trained to say that.”

A change of emotion flashed across Martine’s face, but it was gone before Dagmara could decipher it. Was it shock? Or guilt?

“I’m going to see the town for myself,” Dagmara continued. “You can join me if you want. You can see your hometown for yourself, and maybe get your own answers as to why your family was thrown out.”

“We’re not allowed to go to cleared towns, nor are you allowed to leave the castle without his permission,” Martine objected.

“I’ll find a way to get there,” Dagmara responded. “Either you can come with me, or not.”

Martine folded her arms in front of her. “Will you use another sleeping potion on me?”

A cold shudder tore through Dagmara’s body.

“That’s right, I know what you did,” Martine continued. “I am very suspicious of you, Princess, and so is the king.”

And so was Sabien. Dagmara clearly needed to pick up the pace of this mission.

“You’re not even the slightest bit suspicious as to why the king is clearing towns?” Dagmara asked. She added for effect, “Why was your family kicked out of their home?”

The wheels visibly turned in Martine’s head. Then she finally spoke, “I’m only accompanying you to keep you safe, and to avoid more sleeping potions, not because I’m questioning why the king cleared out Nouchenne. Understood?”

Unable to suppress her smile, Dagmara nodded, “Understood.”

The following morning, before the sun was rising over the horizon, the two set out to Nouchenne. Dagmara needed to make sure that she wouldn’t be out when the sun was at its highest. There was no doubt it would drain all her energy, and she needed to save her energy for the upcoming engagement ball. Nouchenne wasn’t too far from the castle, leaving them plenty of time to investigate. Martine had ordered the stablehands to prep two horses, and they set off south to the town. Dagmara had bandaged her hand and was wearing leather riding gloves, and whatever Martine may have seen in the library, she didn’t bring up again.

They rode in silence for a long time, Dagmara racking her brain for the king’s motive. Why was he clearing out entire towns? She hoped going to Nouchenne would give her answers. There was no doubt, although the guard tried to hide it, that Martine wanted to know the answer as badly as Dagmara, if for different reasons.

When they were well outside the castle walls and cresting over the top of a hill, the sun began to cast an orange glow along the brown grass. The air was filled with a morning fog, and Claude’s castle had disappeared into the mist far behind them. The grass was withered, alternating between yellow and brown hues. Dust flew up underneath the horses’ hooves as though it were a coating of ash.

When they reached the top of the hill, Dagmara yanked the reins of her horse, breaking his canter. He skidded, causing a spray of dirt to fly up from the ground, and tugged against the bridle in agitation. Yet Dagmara couldn’t move, for her attention was fixated on the scene before her.

In front of them, at the bottom of the hill, was an expansive field. It was so large that it vanished into the murky fog, seeming to continue endlessly. The field was littered with bones—small bones, large portions of skeletons, and animal carcasses. Twigs and brambles unwound from the earth, and a thick layer of ash coated the area in a gray blanket.