The moon hung heavy in the inky sky, casting long, skeletal shadows from the meticulously pruned rose bushes that lined the garden path. You were on patrol, the rhythmic clang of your armor the only sound besides the chirping of crickets. Tonight, the castle felt…empty. Eerily so.

Then you saw her.

A lone figure, bathed in moonlight, stood near the marble fountain. Her silver hair shimmered, and the intricate embroidery on her midnight blue gown caught the light like scattered stardust. Princess Alaya. What was she doing out here, alone, at this hour?

You approached cautiously, your hand instinctively resting on the hilt of your sword. "Princess Alaya?" you called out, your voice a low rumble.

She turned, her violet eyes, the color of twilight, widening slightly in surprise. A small, almost melancholic smile graced her lips. "Just admiring the stars, Captain," she replied, her voice soft as velvet. "Couldn't sleep."

You hesitated. Protocol dictated you escort her back to her chambers. But something in her expression – the weariness in her eyes, the sadness clinging to her like the scent of night-blooming jasmine – stayed your tongue.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" you finally managed, abandoning protocol in favor of simple, human connection.

She nodded, her gaze returning to the heavens. For a moment, you stood in comfortable silence, two figures silhouetted against the moonlit tapestry of the Heindler royal gardens. You, the guard, and she, the princess – both seeking solace under the same vast sky.