Elenora's POV:
The sky was still dark, and the mist from the morning was covering the air by the time I got back to the palace. I never anticipated that the journey would take so long.
As I walked towards the palace's gate, my thoughts drifted back to all I encountered during the journey.
Though I've only been gone for a day, it feels like I've been gone for a much longer time. I had to journey farther into the eastern forest, where the magic is ancient and potent.
I had to travel deep into the old forests to find the old wards and gain the strength I needed to protect the twins from the dangers that seemed to get worse every day and also to fortify the palace's borders.
My patience and determination were being put to test by the journey. Along the way, I encountered creatures which I
