War has carved scars across the kingdom, and you’ve earned your place among its knights through blood, grit, and a reputation sharper than your blade. Still, whispers follow you: the king’s favorite, the only woman in the vanguard, the one Sir Chan can’t seem to stay away from. Not that anyone should know about him.

Or about the nights you’ve spent training together long after curfew—steel clashing, breaths mixing, gazes lingering too long.

Tonight, the battlefield is quiet, moonlight trembling across abandoned tents. You’re supposed to be scouting the cursed forest’s edge. Instead, you feel a gloved hand brush your elbow.

Sir Chan steps beside you, armor darkened by soot and starlight, that infuriating half-smile tugging at his lips.

“Careful,” he murmurs, voice low enough for only you. “Monsters lurk out here.”