Forgotten princess

Previously

…Anya’s breath caught. Princess. Kael had called her princess. The word, so familiar from her past, now held a terrifying weight, a confirmation of the hidden lineage Elara had glimpsed on the pouch. Kael’s gaze returned to Anya, his stern facade cracking just enough to reveal a flicker of genuine concern. “We need to go,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “Now. Before anyone else sees you.” As they turned to leave, Anya felt a strange sense of completion. She had found Kael, her protector. And in the chaos of the marketplace, she had found Elara, an unlikely ally, a beacon of resourcefulness in the storm. The orphan’s gambit, she realized, had just begun.