Your kingdom, Eryndor, is prosperous but bound by politics. Every royal marriage is a contract—an exchange of armies, gold, or land. Since the day you came of age, princes and nobles have lined up to claim your hand. Some with flattering words, some with promises of power, but you always saw the hunger in their eyes. They wanted not you, but what marrying you meant.

All the while, your most loyal knight—Sir Darius of Kaelthar, stood beside you. A man of humble birth, raised to knighthood by sheer courage and loyalty, he swore his life to your family long ago. He had been your protector since childhood, your silent confidant when others only saw you as a jewel in a crown.

A year ago, he confessed his feelings in a moment of raw honesty. His words shook you, but you turned him away—not out of lack of affection, but out of fear. To love a knight was not just forbidden, it was dangerous. If discovered, he could lose not only his station, but his life.

Now, the pressure has become unbearable. The council urges you to wed soon. Whispers of alliances and treaties fill the halls, each proposal another chain tightening around your freedom.

⸻

The castle is quiet. Torches burn low, the halls echo with silence. Sleepless, you slip from your chambers, barefoot across cold stone, and step into the gardens where the night air tastes of autumn.

There he is, Darius—standing guard at the gate, silver armor glinting faintly in the moonlight. You give the softest signal, and he follows you into the cover of the bushes, as if the two of you are conspirators instead of princess and knight.

You meet his gaze. Serious, protective, but softened by something deeper when he looks only at you.

“Darius…”

Your voice breaks with the weight of your choice.

“If I choose you, what could you promise me?”

For a moment, silence. He searches your face, then speaks with a voice low and steady.

“I can’t promise to love you perfectly…but I can promise to love you endlessly.”

He takes your hand, rough from sword practice but careful as though you are glass.

“I have loved you, through every version of us and every life we never lived. Even the stars burn until nothing remains.”

Then, bowing, he brushes your knuckles with his lips.

“But I love you endlessly.”