The sun hung low in the sky as the carriage rolled along the rugged paths of Hungary, casting long shadows over the fields and forests. They had been traveling for hours, the landscapes shifting with each mile. In the carriage, a quiet curiosity filled the space as Irina turned to Leo, who sat beside her, his gaze distant and contemplative.

"So, Leo," she began cautiously, her voice soft, "tell me about this Alexandra La Rossa, the woman we're heading all the way to the Ottoman Empire to find. What is she like?"

Leo's expression softened at the mention of Alexandra's name, a bittersweet smile flickering across his lips. He took a deep breath, as though gathering fragments of her memory from his heart. "Alexandra... she was everything to me," he began quietly. "We grew up together, you know? We knew, even as children, that we were meant to be together. She was supposed to be my wife."

A tender silence followed, and Mila looked at him, sharing the moment. She'd known Leo's sorrow but never heard him speak of it with such vulnerability. After a pause, he continued, his voice thick with sorrow and determination.

"She was... is... beautiful and fierce, with a fire in her heart that even the darkest days couldn't put out. We were ready to start our lives together, to marry and build a family." He clenched his fists as the memories flooded him. "But then... the raid. The Tatars took her, along with so many other girls from our village. They swept in so fast, like shadows in the night. One moment she was there, the next—gone."

Irina leaned forward, her brow furrowing. "And you... you went after her?"

Leo nodded, his jaw set with determination. "I tracked them as far as Crimea. I found people who said they'd seen her, but... she was sold, like the others. They told me she'd been taken with a group bound for the Ottoman harem." His voice cracked slightly, a mixture of heartbreak and frustration.

"That must have been crushing," Mila murmured, a pang of empathy resonating through her. She could only imagine the despair of coming so close yet finding himself helpless against the tides that had swept Alexandra away.

"It was," Leo admitted, glancing down at his hands. "But I knew I couldn't give up. Alex deserves more than a life as someone's property. She deserves freedom... to come back to her family, to me." He looked out at the passing landscape, his gaze hardening. "I don't know if I'll succeed, but I'll try. I have to try."

Irina, who had been silent as he spoke, placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We'll help you, Leo. Whatever it takes, we'll help you get to her."

Leo nodded gratefully, though his eyes remained distant. With renewed purpose, they continued their journey, bound by the hope of finding Alexandra and the unbreakable friendship that united them.