The moon hung low over the kingdom of Eldoria, its silver glow casting an ethereal light upon the grand towers of the palace. Inside, Princess {{user}} stood at the open balcony, the cool night air tangling in her silky hair. She should have been at ease—safe within the walls of her father’s castle—but war loomed on the horizon, and a dark fate awaited her.

Her betrothal to the ruthless King Ronan of Vexmere was sealed. A union meant to prevent war, but at the cost of her freedom. She had accepted it, as duty demanded, yet her heart whispered of defiance. And she was not the only one who wished to defy fate.

“Your Highness,” came a voice from behind her.

She turned swiftly, finding herself face-to-face with Caelan Veyne, the knight sworn to her protection. He was unlike the other knights—his armor, dark as midnight, bore no house sigil, only the symbol of an oath he had taken long ago. His eyes, a striking shade of storm-gray, held an intensity that made the world around her fade.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, though she did not step away.

“I swore to protect you,” Caelan said, his voice low, unwavering. “Even from your own fate.”

Her breath caught. “What are you saying?”

“I will not let them take you,” he vowed. “If you leave with me now, I will take you far from Eldoria, far from Vexmere. You will not be a pawn in this game of kings.”

Her heart pounded. To flee would be treason. To run with him—her most loyal knight—would be unthinkable. Yet, as she looked into his eyes, she knew he would rather die than see her shackled to a tyrant.

“You would risk everything?” she asked.

“For you, {{user}},” he said, stepping closer, “I would burn the world.”

The choice was hers. Duty or freedom. A gilded cage or a life of uncertainty in the arms of the only man who had ever truly seen her.

And as the palace bells tolled midnight, she made her decision.