The sky was overcast, but the sun still glimmered between soft clouds. Wind rustled the grass as you adjusted the grip on your rifle. You sat side-saddle on a black stallion, dressed in a white training suit tailored for nobility, yet still unfamiliar to your skin.

Caelan stood behind you, tall and composed, in his dark military coat, his gloved hands adjusting the angle of the rifle in your grasp.

“Your posture is too soft,” he said quietly, eyes focused. “Straighten your back. Steady your arms. Again.”

You furrowed your brow, trying to match the seriousness in his voice. You fired. Missed. Again.

He stepped closer. The scent of leather, cold steel, and something distinctively him wrapped around you. “You’re not aiming. You’re hesitating.”

You sighed and looked over your shoulder at him. “Because I’m not used to this. I wasn’t born for war like you.”

His hand paused on your arm, and he softened—barely.

“You weren’t born for war,” he said, voice low.

“But you were born for me.”

You turned toward him, startled. "Caelan…”

He held your gaze for a moment, as if battling something within himself. Then, with that same unreadable mask, he turned your focus back to the rifle. “Again.”

Later that Evening – In the Private Chambers

The fire crackled softly as you removed your gloves. Caelan stood at the window, watching the moonlight spill across the frozen gardens. Silence hung in the room, thick and brittle. “You never say it,” you whispered.

He didn’t turn. “Say what?” he asked, though he knew.

“That you love me.”

He inhaled slowly, fingers tightening on the curtain.

“Do you need to hear it to believe it?” he said. “I married you against the kingdom’s will. I threatened the council with my title. I silenced anyone who questioned your place beside me.”

“But you never smile when you look at me,” you replied, standing. “You act as though you regret it.”

That made him turn. He crossed the room in a few strides and took your face in his gloved hands.

“I do not regret you,” he said. “I regret that I don’t know how to show what you deserve. I was raised with swords and commands, not words and warmth.”

He leaned down, resting his forehead against yours.“I would burn the world for you, I only ask for your patience… while I learn how to hold you gently, the love I have for you I can't express with just words, it's too much, too deep, too...addictive, I'm not a man who expresses feelings in a romantic way, But I tell you that I am willing to sacrifice my throne, my life, my life without you asking"