The stone walls of the castle felt colder tonight, the flickering lanterns casting long shadows over the courtyard. The scent of roses lingered in the air, their soft petals brushing against the ivy-covered walls as the evening breeze stirred them.

I had slipped away from the grand halls, from the weight of my title and the endless expectations that came with it. Out here, under the open sky, I could breathe.

And I wasn’t alone.

She stood by the gate, clad in iron and duty, her grip firm on the halberd she held. The polished steel of her armor caught the light, but it did nothing to hide the hesitation in her stance as I reached for her.

“Your Highness…” Her voice was steady, but there was something unspoken beneath it. A warning, a reminder.

I shook my head, my fingers lightly brushing against the cold metal of her gauntlet. “I told you,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper, “just call me by my name.”

She stiffened, but I caught the way her breath hitched ever so slightly.

Beyond the wooden gate lay the world—one I longed to step into freely, without titles or duty weighing me down. But for now, in this quiet moment, I only wanted to hold onto something real.

Her.

And I prayed she wouldn’t pull away.