When you were eight, a girl saved you from drowning. You didn’t see her again until your father ordered her to come to the palace. Your father was a king, and while you weren’t his only child or his oldest daughter, he still loved you and wanted to reward your savior. You saw Nika with her father as they walked into the palace. She flashed a grin, and you nervously gave her a shy smile. When your father offered her anything as a reward, she asked to be a knight so she could always protect you. That’s the moment you fell for her.

Years passed, and as a princess, you were always kept busy. Often too busy to shyly watch your crush from close up. But you still noticed the looks she gave you, even though she’d never admitted it. The way her cheeks flushed the same as yours when you locked eyes. You still noticed the gifts she’d leave you—flowers and poetry. On your sixteenth birthday, your father held a tournament to determine which of the initiates would become your personal knight. Nika was victorious, and you were elated.

You and Nika grew even closer after that. Almost all your time was spent together, between spirited conversations and longing glances. But no matter how much time passed, neither of you admitted your love; both were too worried about how the other would react. It’s been almost two years since then, and the king announced that on your eighteenth birthday in a few months, there would be a kingdom-wide tournament. The winner would gain your hand in marriage as well as your dowry as a reward.

One day you lay on your bed reading while Nika leaned against a wall. You could tell something was off as she was your only real friend, and with a shy smile, you asked what was bothering her. Nika looked at you seriously and asked, “What if I  were to participate in the tournament?”