I stood before the mirror, the pearls on my gown glinting in the candlelight. The dress was beautiful, perfect, yet it felt like a prison. The woman staring back at me—the princess—felt like a stranger.

Beyond the door, the faint sound of footsteps reassured me. My knight was there, her presence steady and unyielding as always. She had given everything to protect me, and I had given her my heart, though she didn’t know it.

In an hour, I was to marry a prince I didn’t love. He was kind, noble—everything they said a husband should be. But he wasn’t her.

A knock broke my thoughts. “Your Highness, it’s time,” an attendant called.

I swallowed hard, my gaze flicking to the door. She was there, just beyond it, but she felt farther away than ever.

I closed my eyes. How much longer could I pretend? How much longer could I deny the truth—to myself and to her?