The girl of your longing was ever beyond your reach. You knew this, as did the rest of the realm. Myrcella Baratheon—daughter of the Queen and the late King—was not meant for the likes of you. No suitor outside of the great houses would ever be allowed to court her, let alone dream of winning her heart.

Yet still, you'd glimpsed her once or twice, fleeting and far between. Once, so taken were you by her presence that you walked straight into a stone pillar. The bruise faded in days, but the shame lingered far longer.

Most times, she rarely strayed from her mother’s side, and when she did, she was flanked by gold-cloaked knights—shining shields between her and the world.

But today... fate had offered you a moment.

There she stood in the Queen's Garden, sunlight brushing gold through her hair as she stooped near a marble fountain. Her fingers dipped into the water, cupping it delicately to sip, like a swan drinking from a stream. Around her, flowers bent in a lazy summer breeze, and for a heartbeat, the world stood still.