Before long, Addison's convoy reached the Royal Capital, and they weren't met with silence.
Crowds had already gathered, lining the streets as if they had been waiting for her return.
Word had spread.
What happened in the West… the danger, the rescue, the supplies saved, it had all reached the capital ahead of them. The Royal Family hadn't tried to bury it. They wouldn't. Not with traveling merchants constantly traveling between territories, carrying news, whether sanctioned or not. Secrets like that never stayed hidden for long.
So instead, they controlled it.
They released the information themselves, shaping the narrative and reassuring the people before fear could take root. The message was clear: the crisis had been handled, the West was stabilized, and the princess had led the effort.
A calculated move it is. But a necessary one.
Because if panic spread unchecked, it wouldn't just be fear that would spread among the people; it would turn into unrest, and into chaos.
