“Hunt down the traitor, and bring them back to me alive,” Rose said.

She stood over the dead body with tears brewing in her eyes… I stood in silence. With one glance into her daring stare I could see the fear and anger inside her. With a promising nod, I grabbed my bow and hurried out the door to vengeance.

As I rode down the dirt road, through the courtyard, I could see Rose watching me through the palace window. Her stance was hopeless. I knew she was relying on me to bring the traitor back. The further into the woods we got, the more I thought about my responsibility.

I felt a thick lodge in my throat that I couldn’t shake. I swallowed and panted until I couldn’t take the pressure anymore. I pulled the reins, jumped off my horse and tied her up to a tree. I grounded myself on a log, took a deep breath and immediately burst into tears.

I couldn’t fathom what I’d done. Rose’s husband was lying dead at my feet. His blood dripping from the ends of my fingertips. It wouldn’t take long for Rose to realize it was me. That I was the traitor.

A silhouette of Rose watching me ride away from her window appeared in the distance. Trying to escape her haunting presence, I got on my horse and began riding east. I didn’t know where I was going, except that I needed to get far away from the palace.

I thought to myself “What if I brought back a random beggar and attest that I saw him enter through the back door? Could I really get away with murder? What if Rose knew it was me all along? Has she already ordered her guards to search for me? Will I find a “WANTED” sign with my name on it?”

Red spats of blood clouded my vision to navigate through the dark woods. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts race as I left the town of Pottenburg, never looking back.