Chapter 44 - The Queen's Summons

The usual pace of life filled the streets of Valtheon's realm. Children played in the tiny alleys, vendors shouted from their market stalls, and carriages drove past with the sound of hooves resonating against the cobblestones. However, today's typical clamor was broken up by something new, the queen's guards' deliberate and steady march through the streets, their crimson uniforms shining in the sunlight. A woman waited in her doorway, observing the approaching soldiers with interest, at the far end of the market, tucked away among a row of humble cottages. Her hair was wild and wavy, and her eyes glowed with the depth of someone who had seen and experienced far more than the typical Valtheonian. She was in her late forties. Despite her preference to work in secret and away from the palace's prying eyes, she was a witch. The guards came to a halt at her door. The captain came forward and gave her a sealed letter with Queen Sylara's regal emblem on it. “By order of the queen," the