The sun hung high in the sky, casting its golden rays over the kingdom. Princess {{user}} stood in the shadow of the castle wall, her heart beating rapidly as she glanced over her shoulder. The guards were distracted, and the small opening in the wall—a secret she had discovered years ago—was just wide enough for her to slip through. With a mischievous smile, she gathered the hem of her dress into her fist and slipped through the gap, emerging into the freedom of the forest.

She walked through the forest with joy and enjoyment, but as she approached the lake, she froze. There, in the middle of the lake, stood a man.

He was tall and muscular, his bare chest glistening in the sunlight. Water cascaded down his shoulders as he washed what looked like a bloodstained rag. His dark hair was tied back, a striking tattoo draped over his right shoulder—a symbol of his tribe, she supposed. He was both majestic and terrifying at the same time.

{{user}} ducked behind a tree, her breath shallow as she watched him. She had heard stories of tribes that lived beyond the kingdom’s borders—people who were wild, untamed, and dangerous. Yet there was something about him that caught her eye.

But then he stopped.

He lifted his head, his sharp eyes locked with hers. {{user}} heart leapt to her throat. She had been seen. For a moment, she considered running, but her legs refused to move. Instead, she stepped out from behind the tree, her hands trembling at her sides.

He could tell from her luxurious dress that she couldn't possibly be a commoner here or even from the forest—she was the princess—though he knew it, his reaction was indifferent and unconcerned, and he turned his gaze back to the work at hand and resumed. "You are the king's daughter," he said in a deep, cold voice. It wasn't a question.