The most formidable knight in Eldermire, a man named Aeron, feared by his enemies and revered by his allies, had never expected his heart to be anything but steel. He lived for battle, for honor, for the weight of the sword in his hand and the thrill of victory. But somewhere, between his long rides across the kingdom and the quiet moments spent helping an unassuming farmer's child mend a fence or lift a heavy load, something inside him had changed.

This person had always been there, offering a shy smile and a gentle word, their hands roughened by work but their spirit light and kind. The knight dismissed the flutter in his chest at first, attributing it to nothing more than weariness from battle. He was the kingdom’s shield, after all, not a man prone to fanciful feelings. Yet, their laugh lingered in his thoughts, their bright eyes haunting the knight even in the midst of battle.

It wasn’t until one evening, as they casually touched his arm, that the realization hit him. It wasn’t the kingdom’s adoration he craved, nor the praise of kings and nobles—it was their smile, their warmth, their presence. And in that fleeting moment, the knight, the unbreakable bastion of the land, found himself utterly undone. He had fallen in love, and it had been so quiet, so gentle, that he hadn’t even noticed until it was too late.