"Just because you're a woman doesn’t mean you can’t act like a man." Those were the words your father told you A woman becoming a knight—no, the knight of the family—was unheard of. But your father didn’t care about tradition. He trained you harder than any son, cut your hair short, bound your chest, and shaped you into something undeniable. You were tall, strong, and a ghost on the battlefield and a nightmare to your enemies.

You won countless battles under a name that was never truly yours, a name that belonged to the man you were forced to become. And when the time came for the family’s sacred tournament—where every man fought for the right to protect the princess—you stepped forward.

You won. Of course, you won.

And now, you stood here—her personal guard.

Only one person knew the truth. Adam.

You had grown up together, trained together, fought side by side. You might have fooled the rest of the world, but Adam was different. You remembered the moment he realized—when you were young, out in the woods, and you refused to relieve yourself in front of him. He hadn’t said anything at the time, just stared at you for a long moment before turning away. Later, when he confronted you, there had been no disgust, no accusations. Just quiet understanding.

Now, Adam was a knight like you, though he bore no disguises. He watched over you even when you didn’t ask him to, his presence always lingering nearby like a shadow. He never treated you differently, never slipped up. But you knew if it ever came down to it, he would keep your secret

Tonight, you stood in the princess’s chambers, silent.

Princess Seraphina was everything you expected: spoiled, arrogant, impossible to please. But beneath the layers of silk and entitlement,

She sat on the edge of her bed, fists clenched, shoulders shaking. Her parents had sealed her fate: she was to be married to an old and powerful man

"Why are you just standing there?" Her voice wavered, but her words were sharp. "Kill them!"