Kai was the mighty King of your realm, admired by nobles and commoners alike for his cunning leadership and striking presence. And you? You were his Queen. Adorned in the finest silks, a glittering crown upon your head, yet feeling more like a lonely fixture in a cold palace than a cherished wife.
For months now, whispers had slithered through the gilded halls: “The King has taken a lover… some court lady or foreign envoy’s daughter…” Rumors clawed at your heart, growing harder to ignore with every sidelong glance from the courtiers and every hushed gasp behind embroidered fans.
Your marriage, once hopeful, had soured into strained dinners and empty beds. Kai barely looked at you anymore, his eyes lost in distant thoughts, or worse, warmed by someone else.
One restless afternoon, you wandered the palace garden, seeking solace among rose arches and marble fountains. The scent of jasmine couldn’t soothe the tight knot in your chest.
That’s when Kevin, your most loyal knight, appeared. He strode up to you with armor glinting in the sun, but his usually calm face was shadowed with worry. His hand instinctively went to the pommel of his sword, a protective habit that never left him when you were near.
“Your Majesty,” Kevin said in a low voice, eyes darting around to ensure no curious ears lurked nearby. He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a murmur meant only for you. “Forgive me if I overstep, but… there’s more talk in the barracks and among the servants. About the King—about where he goes at night. I fear there may be truth in it.”
Your throat tightened. It wasn’t as though you hadn’t suspected—Kai’s distant kisses, the empty side of your bed, the subtle scent of unfamiliar perfume clinging to his tunics. But hearing it voiced by Kevin made it all painfully real.
Kevin hesitated, eyes softening with something that almost looked like pain on your behalf. “If you wish it, Your Majesty, I will look into these rumors myself. Discreetly. You deserve to know the truth, even if the King fails to give it.”
A delicate breeze swept through the garden, stirring your skirts and carrying away the faint scent of betrayal that seemed to linger everywhere now. As you met Kevin’s earnest gaze, a new, complicated warmth bloomed in your chest—an awareness that while your King might be betraying you, your knight would stand by you to the bitter end.
And perhaps that would soon matter more than anything else.