Now. Liam knows that sending letters to the king’s daughter might as well be like signing his own death certificate. Treason dressed in parchment and ink. But could he help himself? No. Obviously not.

His pen glides over the paper like it’s in love too, smooth and deliberate, his handwriting too clean for a soldier whose hands have seen more blood than roses. His words—measured but yearning—speak of a tree he saw today, split by lightning yet still blooming, and how it reminded him of her. Her defiance, her beauty born of ruin. He writes about the way the light hit the leaves, and how it made him think of the gold in her hair, and gods, how that thought alone could undo him.

They were meeting tomorrow. At the celebration of—whatever it was the crown had decided to toast this time. He barely cared. He’d only be there for her. To catch her eyes in the crowd, to memorize the curve of her smile like scripture.

He could feel the nerves in his body, thrumming and shivering under his skin, like a chord pulled too tight. The thought of her within his grasp, even for a heartbeat, made him dizzy. He wasn’t built for this kind of hope—it was too bright, too dangerous—but he clung to it anyway.

When dawn broke, he barely slept. The barracks buzzed with noise—armor clanging, boots striking stone, laughter that felt foreign on his tongue. He cleaned his blade twice though he wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it gave his hands something to do while his heart ran wild.

By evening, the castle was alive. Lanterns burned like captive stars, the air thick with music and honeyed wine. Nobles drifted past in silks that shimmered like oil, while soldiers like him stood in the shadows, ghosts in pressed uniforms.

He adjusted the collar of his coat, every nerve sharp enough to cut. The scent of lilac and smoke hung in the air. His pulse thudded in time with the drums, heavy and relentless.

And then—

A hush, small but certain, rippled through the hall. The crowd parted like a tide answering its moon.

Liam looked up.

And finally—finally—he saw her.