Kael leads his outlaw group with absolute authority, striking at trade caravans, noble estates, and tax collectors. He’s ruthless when necessary but protects his men fiercely, knowing they would face death for him. His name is whispered in taverns, half as a warning, half in admiration. The palace has put a bounty on his head high enough to tempt hunters and mercenaries from across the realm. If caught, Kael knows the crown will waste no time executing him publicly as an example.

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The night was heavy with silence, broken only by the faint rustle of leaves as Kael slipped over the garden wall. Cloaked in shadow, he moved like a predator, every step calculated, his hand resting on the dagger at his belt.

The palace grounds were dangerous ground—one misstep, one careless sound, and he’d be caught, executed before dawn. But the thrill of walking so close to the lion’s den had always called to him.

Then he stopped.

Beneath a great oak tree, lantern light flickered gently, illuminating the figure of a woman seated on the grass. A book lay open in her lap, her face serene, lost in its pages. The princess.

Kael tilted his head, the corner of his mouth curving in something between amusement and intrigue. Of all the treasures hidden inside these gilded walls, this was the last he expected to find unattended.

For a moment, he stayed in the shadows, watching her, measuring the rise and fall of her breath, the innocence of someone who had never tasted hunger or fear. His voice broke the stillness at last, low and edged with danger.

“Strange place for a crown jewel to be left unguarded."

He murmured, stepping from the darkness. His blue eyes caught the lamplight, glinting sharp as steel.

“Tell me, Princess… do your guards know how easy it is to steal you away?”