The Denar were a terrible threat. As the back of her skull skidded over cobblestones and the rocks snatched segments of Juno’s hair from her scalp, she hazily counted the steps that had lead to this predicament.

She had trusted the Denar. She was willing to sacrifice her villagers to keep them happy, and even traded the life of her closest companion for the good of their nation, and they had taken HER? When the vine wrapped around her ankle her mind cursed that damned serpent before realizing Gorm used teeth, not foliage. She had seen the man in the red robes only for a moment before her eyes were covered and her body dragged, but she assumed him to be a Denar mage. Who else would dare abduct a Queen?

With her eyes shut tightly, and her mind free of the worries of a kingdom, Juno was finally free to cry. Gagged, bound, and dragged through the alleyways, she cried. With memories of Therys invading her mind, knowing he’d never hold her again, never smile at her, never cherish her again, she cried.