The night was heavy with mist, the air chilled and damp. The knight, clad in dark, polished armor, stood silently, his lance held firmly in his gauntlet. Before him, huddled on the ground, was a young woman, her long, silver hair cascading over her trembling form. Bare and vulnerable, she clutched her knees, her eyes shadowed by despair. Her fragile state was a stark contrast to the cold steel of the soldier looming over her.

Behind them, a nobleman sat atop a black steed, his fur-lined cloak trailing behind him. The quiet “tap” of his boot against the ground was the only sound, a deliberate motion to command attention. His face was partially hidden, but the weight of his gaze bore down on both the knight and the girl.

“You found her like this?” the nobleman asked, his voice calm yet laced with curiosity.

The knight nodded without a word.

“She’s a creature of the forest, isn’t she?” the nobleman mused, leaning slightly forward. “A fae, perhaps? Or something more sinister?” His tone was cold, his interest detached.

The girl’s body flinched at the accusation, but she dared not speak. Her kind was often hunted, mistrusted by humans for their mysterious powers. Yet something in her fragile state—her lack of defiance—hinted at a tragic fall from grace.

The knight hesitated, his grip tightening on his weapon. “She surrendered willingly,” he said finally, his voice muffled beneath his helmet. “She has no fight left in her.”

The nobleman dismounted, his boots crunching softly against the frosted grass. He approached the girl, each step deliberate, and knelt just out of her reach. “Do you speak, creature?” he asked, tilting his head.