Crown of Rebirth - Chapter 12

The woman introduced herself as Anna. She was a healer, and she offered to tend to the wounds on Neru’s arm.

Neru hesitated, not wanting to put her in danger by being seen with him. But Anna insisted, and soon she had bandaged his arm and given him some herbs to ease the pain.

As they sat in the park, talking and enjoying each other’s company, Neru couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. Maybe things weren’t as hopeless as he had thought.

But as the day wore on and the sun began to set, he knew he had to move on. He couldn’t stay in the park forever, and he needed to find a more permanent hiding place.

Anna offered to let him stay with her, but Neru didn’t want to put her in danger. He thanked her for her kindness and set out into the streets once again.

As he walked, he began to notice that people were staring at him. He realized that he stood out in his regal clothing, and that he needed to find something else to wear.

He spotted a small clothing shop and ducked inside. The shopkeeper looked up at him, surprised.

“I need something more… inconspicuous,” Neru said, gesturing to his royal garb.

The shopkeeper nodded and led him to a rack of plain, nondescript clothes. Neru quickly picked out a simple shirt and trousers, grateful for the chance to blend in.

As he left the shop, he felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He was still lost and alone, but at least he had a chance to hide in plain sight.