Chapter 2- The Road That Changes Everything

Atlas had barely slept.

The palace was quiet, but his mind was all over the place.

Lady Katerina Valerius.

His fiancée.

The word alone felt heavy in his chest.

He turned onto his side and groaned into his pillow.

“Gosh…. this is a disaster.”

A knock came at the door.

Before he could answer, the door opened and his personal aide slipped inside.

Philip.

Philip had served Atlas since they were boys. Loyal to the core. Completely uninterested with their royal nonsense.

Philip folded his arms.

“You look like someone who drank poison last night.”

Atlas sat up slowly.

“I might as well have.”

Philip raised an eyebrow.

“That bad?”

Atlas dragged a hand through his hair.

“Father accepted a marriage proposal for me.”

Philip blinked.

Then he laughed.

Atlas stared at him.

“You find this funny?”

Philip wiped his eyes.

“Oh, forgive me, Your Highness, but the entire kingdom has been waiting for this moment.”

Atlas groaned again.

“Not you too.”

Philip leaned against the wall.

“So who’s the unlucky woman?”

“Lady Katerina.”

Philip whistled.

“Well, well.”

“That’s not helpful.”

“No, I mean it.” Philip shrugged. “She’s brilliant. Beautiful. And ambitious.”

Atlas dropped back onto the bed.

“Exactly.”

Philip tilted his head.

“Most men would celebrate that.”

Atlas didn’t answer.

Philip looked at him for a moment.

“You really don’t want this, do you?”

Atlas stared at the ceiling again.

“I don’t know what I want.”

I don’t even understand why the idea of marrying a woman makes me feel… horrible.

Philip pushed off the wall.

“Well, lucky for you, we’re leaving the palace today.”

Atlas frowned.

“What?”

Philip smirked.

“Royal inspection tour. Remember?”

Atlas blinked.

Right.

His father had arranged a countryside tour weeks ago. A routine visit to villages and farms.

Normally Atlas enjoyed those trips.

They were the only time he could breathe away from court politics.

But now… Before Philip could even finish the sentence, Prince Atlas cut him off.

“Perfect,” Atlas muttered. “I get engaged and then immediately flee the city.”

Philip grinned.

“Sounds like good timing to me.”

Atlas sighed and swung his legs off the bed.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

—

The morning air outside the palace was crisp and cool.

Atlas climbed into the royal carriage while guards prepared their horses.

Philip settled across from him, flipping through a scroll.

“Three villages today,” Philip said. “Harvest inspections, local disputes, the usual.”

Atlas nodded absentmindedly.

His thoughts kept drifting back to last night.

His father’s voice.

I have accepted a marriage proposal on your behalf.

The carriage began moving.

The palace gates opened.

Atlas leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes.

He needed this trip.

Fresh air at last.

Something to clear the mess inside his head.

Philip suddenly leaned toward the window.

“Look at that.”

Atlas opened one eye.

“What?”

Philip pointed outside.

A group of young soldiers were training in the palace courtyard.

Sweat glistened on their skin as they trained under the morning sun.

One of them knocked his opponent to the ground and laughed.

Atlas’s gaze lingered a moment too long.

Philip smirked.

“Enjoying the view?”

Atlas looked away immediately.

“I’m observing their technique.”

Philip snorted.

“Sure you are.”

Atlas glared at him.

Philip raised his hands innocently.

“Relax, Your Highness.”

Atlas crossed his arms.

He hated when Philip noticed things.

Because sometimes Philip noticed things Atlas himself didn’t want to think about.

The carriage rolled through the city streets.

Markets buzzed with life.

Merchants shouted.

Children ran through the crowd.

Atlas watched everything from the window.

He liked these moments.

Seeing the kingdom as it truly was.

Not the polished version inside palace walls.

The carriage finally passed through the city gates and onto the open road.

Atlas exhaled slowly.

Philip leaned back lazily.

“Still thinking about your bride?”

Atlas made a face.

“Don’t call her that.”

“What should I call her then? Your future queen?”

Atlas rubbed his temples.

“Stop.”

Philip chuckled.

“You know what the real problem is?”

Atlas looked up.

“What?”

“You’re the only man I know who acts like marriage is a prison sentence.”

Atlas stared out the window again.

“Maybe it is.”

Philip studied him for a moment.

Then he said quietly,

“You might later fall in love.”

Atlas laughed dryly.

“With who?”

Philip shrugged.

“Her.”

Atlas didn’t respond.

—

They had been traveling for nearly an hour when something strange happened.

The horses suddenly slowed.

Atlas frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

The driver called back.

“Road obstruction, Your Highness!”

Atlas leaned toward the window.

A farmer’s cart had tipped over on the road.

Barrels of grain scattered everywhere.

A young man was trying desperately to lift the cart back upright.

Atlas sighed.

“Stop the carriage.”

Philip blinked.

“You’re going to help?”

“Of course.”

Atlas stepped out before Philip could argue.

The guards moved to assist, but Atlas waved them off.

“I’ve got it.”

The farmer looked up, startled.

“Oh, Your Highness!”

He tried to bow awkwardly.

Atlas grabbed the cart.

“Don’t bow. Help me lift.”

The farmer hurried to the other side.

Together they pushed.

The cart slowly rolled upright again.

Grain spilled everywhere.

The farmer ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard.

“Thank you, Your Highness. I’m sorry for blocking the road.”

Atlas smiled.

“No harm done.”

The farmer looked about Atlas’s age.

Strong build. Good skin.

A loose shirt clung slightly to his chest from sweat.

Atlas suddenly realized he was staring.

So he quickly looked away.

Philip cleared his throat behind him.

“Is everything okay here?”

“Yes.”

Atlas nodded.

“Let’s carry on.”

He turned back toward the carriage.

But as he stepped inside, Philip leaned close and whispered,

“You stared too hard.”

Atlas stiffened.

“I did not.”

Philip smirked.

“Oh, you definitely did.”

Atlas glared.

Philip laughed quietly.

“Relax. I won’t tell your future wife.”

Atlas turned toward the window again.

The farmer had already started gathering the spilled grain.

Something about him had felt… different.

Atlas shook the thought away.

The carriage continued down the road.

Villagers passed by.

Atlas slowly relaxed again.

Until…

Philip suddenly leaned forward.

“Hold on.”

Atlas frowned.

“What now?”

Philip pointed ahead.

“There’s someone in that garden.”

Atlas glanced toward the fields.

At first he saw nothing.

Then the carriage moved closer.

And Atlas saw him.

A man stood in a garden beside the road.

He was pruning a row of flowers.

The sun hung low in the sky, casting golden light across the field.

The man’s sleeves were rolled to his elbows.

Dark hair fell slightly over his eyes.

He paused and pushed the hair back absently while working on the flowers.

For a moment, Atlas forgot to breathe. How can a man look this cute ? He thought.

The man looked up and their eyes met.

Atlas’s heart slammed against his ribs.

The carriage kept moving.

Atlas twisted in his seat, still looking back through the window.

The man had already returned to his work.

Like nothing had happened.

Philip watched Atlas carefully.

“You okay?”

Atlas blinked.

“Yes.”

But his voice sounded strange.

Philip leaned out the window, looking back as well.

“Interesting.”

Atlas turned toward him.

“What?”

Philip smiled slowly.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you look at someone like that.”

Atlas frowned.

“Like what?”

Philip leaned back into his seat.

“Like you just discovered something.”

Atlas looked forward again.

His pulse was still racing.

It was just a stranger.

A farmer.

Why did his chest feel like that?

Philip spoke again.

“Should I ask who that was?”

Atlas hesitated.

“No.”

Philip raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t want to know?”

Atlas looked back through the window again.

The garden had disappeared behind the trees.

“…maybe,” he said quietly.

Philip smirked.

“I’ll send someone to ask.”

Atlas opened his mouth to protest.

Then stopped.

Because inside him, he knew a part of him wanted to know who the farmer was.

Philip leaned toward the driver.

“Stop the carriage.”

Atlas frowned.

“What are you doing?”

Philip grinned.

“Relax. I’m just curious.”

The carriage slowed.

Atlas’s heart started beating faster again.

Philip stepped out and called over a passing villager.

“Hey! The man in the garden back there, who is he?”

The villager scratched his chin.

“Oh. You mean Jacob.”

Atlas froze.

Jacob.

The name echoed in his mind.

“Where’s he from?” Philip asked.

“Not from here,” the villager said. “Came from Alexandria a few years ago.”

Philip nodded thoughtfully.

“Interesting.”

He returned to the carriage.

Atlas tried to sound casual.

“So?”

Philip sat down slowly.

“His name is Jacob.”

Atlas repeated it silently.

Jacob.

Philip watched him carefully.

“Want to go back?”

Atlas looked out the window again.

The road stretched forward.

The garden was already far behind them.

“No,” Atlas said.

Philip nodded.

“Alright.”

The carriage began moving again.

But Atlas couldn’t stop thinking about the man in the garden.

The sunlight in his hair.

How cute his eyes were, when he looked up.

The strange jolt in Atlas’s chest.

Something about that moment felt important.

Like the beginning of something he didn’t understand yet.

Philip suddenly leaned forward again.

“Well… this is interesting.”

Atlas looked up.

“What?”

Philip smirked.

“I just realized something.”

Atlas frowned.

“What?”

Philip leaned closer and whispered,

“You didn’t look at him like a prince looks at a subject.”

Atlas’s stomach tightened.

Philip’s smile widened.

“You looked at him like a man looks at someone he wants.”

Silence filled the carriage.

Atlas’s heartbeat thundered in his ears.

He opened his mouth to argue…

But the carriage suddenly jerked to a violent stop.

A guard shouted from outside.

“AMBUSH!”

Atlas’s head snapped toward the door.

Steel clashed outside.

Someone screamed.

Philip grabbed a dagger.

“Well,” he muttered.

“This day just got interesting.”

Outside…

Footsteps rushed toward the carriage.

And someone yanked the door open.

The royal carriage has been ambushed…

And the first person Atlas sees outside…

Is the farmer from the garden.

Jacob.