Sophie held the man's gaze for a second before replying. Sunlight fell across her face, and the warm air outside the gate carried dust and the faint sound of boots shifting behind her. Cassie stood half a step behind, tense and quiet, while the guards near the wall kept stealing glances at Sophie with changed expressions.
"I am perfectly safe here," Sophie said calmly. "No one has harmed me, and no one has forced me to stay. I am fine."
The tall man studied her in silence. His sharp eyes moved past her shoulder and swept across the walls, the gate, the guards, and the workers moving inside the camp. He noticed the way people looked at Sophie. There was no fear in their eyes. There was clear respect. Even the armed men around the gate stood straighter around her, not because of her title, but because they trusted her.
