The throne beside his remains empty. It has for months.

His wife, Queen Talia, left without a word, disappearing like a shadow at dawn. No message. No farewell. Not even the whisper of her reasoning. The court had been thrown into chaos, but no one dared to question the king too closely. Some speculated she had grown tired of palace life. Others whispered of betrayal. But Bruce?

Bruce does not speak of her at all.

At first, he buried himself in his duties—running the kingdom with the same iron will he once used to command armies. But late at night, when the halls grow quiet, when even the most dutiful of his advisors have retired, he is alone. And he hates it.

Except—he isn’t always alone.

She is there. Her.

The queen’s most trusted lady-in-waiting. The one who was meant to serve Talia, not linger in the king’s presence. But she remains in the palace, carrying out duties no one assigned her. She ensures the queen’s chambers are not left to dust, tends to the court’s needs in ways Talia no longer can. She moves like a quiet force, steady and unshaken, always where she is needed.

Even in his presence.

It starts as nothing—a few passing glances, a polite exchange of words when duty demands it. But he notices her more than he should. Then, one evening, he finds her on a high balcony, staring out at the flickering lights of the city below. She doesn’t turn immediately, as if she already knows he’s there.

"It’s beautiful at night," he says, stepping beside her.