His infatuation towards her was no secret - for him. Despite how stoic he appeared and even if no one suspected, he knew how he felt for the princess.

Since he was in the Kingsguard, he always saw her walking through the halls, all the time.

And she always stopped to greet everyone. Even if she was in a hurry, rushing somewhere, she always had a smile on her face.

That night, for example, at the hour of the owl, he was guarding the king's chambers and saw her walking calmly down the hall.