Chapter 72

DEREK'S POV Morning came, Maya and I led our troops across Illyria’s southern border. The banners of our kingdom snapped in the wind as we moved. My pulse hammered against my ribs, not from exhaustion but because of how uncertain I felt. I couldn’t put my finger on it. something just felt …off. “Something feels off,” Maya muttered. Her sharp eyes scanned the landscape ahead. Her gloved fingers tightened around the reins of her horse. She was right. There was no sign of conflict. No smoke, no cries of the wounded, no destruction beyond the natural harshness of winter. It was unsettling. The moment we rode past the first outpost, a scout galloped toward us. “The city’s been reclaimed, my lord.” He said. A weight dropped in my stomach. Maya straightened beside me with a frown on her face. “Already?” I exhaled slowly, controlling the frustration clawing at my chest. If Illyria had already fallen back into our hands, then Alexander and his forces had moved faster than we anticipated. Worse,