The moon cast a gentle glow over Eldoria’s castle as Princess Elara stood upon the balcony, anticipation and dread warring in her heart.

Below, the Silver Falcons prepared for their next journey, led by Captain Rowan—strong, noble, and the one who truly held her heart.

Elara stepped forward, her voice steady, “Captain Rowan, I ask you to let me join your ranks. I wish to fight for my kingdom, not merely watch from these walls.”

Rowan looked at her with a mix of respect and concern. “Princess, your spirit is fierce, but by law and tradition, a woman may not take up sword among us.”

She met his steady gaze and said quietly, “Then it is time to change those laws. Allow me to prove my worth.”

He nodded slowly. “Very well, Elara. You shall earn your place through trial.”

Days turned to weeks as Elara trained with the Silver Falcons. Her hands blistered, but her spirit only grew stronger. One evening, as twilight fell, Rowan found her alone beneath the starlit sky.

“You fight with unmatched courage, Elara. What drives you so?”

Her eyes flickered with longing, “I’m promised in marriage to a prince I have never met, bound by duty to a future I do not want. My heart... it burns for someone else.”

Rowan’s gaze softened as he took her hand gently. “Elara, know this—my heart has been yours from the moment I first saw your fire. No law nor crown can change that.”

The day of the wedding dawned cold and grey. Elara stood before the altar, her elegant gown a silver sheen beneath the grand cathedral’s high arches. The prince, a stranger dressed in ornate robes, awaited her.

Her breath caught as she glanced toward the chapel door. There stood Rowan, dressed not in knight’s armor but simple clothes, his eyes pleading with hers from across the room.

Elara’s voice trembled with resolve as the priest began, “Do you, Princess Elara, take this man as your lawful husband?”