Louis's POV

"This will likely be our last meeting, Prince Louis."

In a small tavern near the Southern Forest, Garfield Evans, clad in black and wearing a hood, sat across from me. The arrogance and ambition once evident in his demeanor were replaced with a bitter smile and an unhidden hatred towards his enemies.

"I suppose so," I replied, ignoring Garfield's raised glass and instead downing my drink in one gulp. "After all, the Southern Forest is a terrifying place. Even my brother met his end there."

"Well, dying in the same place as Liam would be a kind of luck," Garfield responded with a resigned smile, but I could...