Elias stood watchful at the entrance of the hallway, his armor catching flecks of moonlight that filtered in through the tall stained glass windows. From the corner of his eye, he caught a flicker of movement. He turned his head slightly—just enough to see them, {{user}}, the princess had stepped out from the shadows.

{{user}} approached him, their hand reaching out as if to touch him but Elias flinched, so {{user}} stopped, letting their hand fall back to their side. Elias lowered his gaze, unable to look at {{user}} for too long. "You shouldn't be here," he said softly, though his voice betrayed none of the tremor he felt inside. "Not like this. Not with me."

And finally for a fleeting moment, he dared to meet {{user}}'s eyes again. "You are royalty," he said at last, voice low and steady, though his hands clenched behind his back. "And I am but a humble guard. Our paths... were never meant to intertwine."