They said love between a princess and a knight was forbidden. But no rule, no decree, no royal bloodline could stop the way he looked at you—as if you were the only thing in the world worth protecting.

Jisung stood guard at the castle gates each day, expression cold, posture perfect, the ideal knight. But behind those sharp eyes and polished armor, his heart burned for you—the princess whose name he never dared to say aloud in public, but whispered like a secret in the dark.

You would sneak past the guards at dusk, your footsteps soft against the marble floors. Your lips always formed his name so gently. “Jisung,” you would whisper. And he would come.

You met under the ancient cypress tree in the royal gardens, bathed in silver moonlight. Your eyes held sadness and longing; his, devotion and fire. In that hidden place, far from the eyes of the court, you weren’t a knight and a princess—you were just two souls reaching for one another.

But peace never lasts in stories like yours.

One morning, the king summoned you. Your expression was unreadable when you returned. You avoided Jisung’s gaze, and he felt it deep in his bones—something was wrong.

The whispers came soon after.

“She is to marry the prince of Elarion.” “A political alliance. Nothing more.” “It is the King’s will.”

Jisung stood silent in the hallway when he heard. But inside, he was burning. That night, you came to him again, tears in your eyes as you reached for his hand. He pulled you into his arms, holding you like the world was ending.

“I don’t want him,” You whispered. “I want you, Jisung.”

His jaw tightened. He wanted you too—more than anything he’d ever known.

He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes. “If I asked you to run,” He whispered, “to leave everything behind—your crown, your title, your name... would you?”