After the night in the snow, something small but important changed.
Princess Lyra began to notice Caelan more.
Not in a loud way.
Not in a dangerous way.
Just in quiet moments.
She saw how he stood guard without moving for hours. How he never complained. How he always watched his surroundings carefully. Other guards joked and laughed when they could. Caelan did not. His face always carried calm and focus, like his mind never truly rested.
Sometimes, when Lyra passed through the hallways, she felt his presence before she saw him.
And sometimes, their eyes met again.
Only for a second.
But each time, her heart beat a little faster.
She did not understand why.
---
Life in the palace went on as usual.
Lyra attended meetings, lessons, and meals filled with nobles who smiled too much and spoke too carefully. Every word had meaning. Every laugh hid a plan.
She felt tired all the time.
One afternoon, after a long meeting, she asked Elisse, "May I go to the garden?"
Elisse hesitated. "The king did not give permission."
Lyra smiled gently. "Then I will take responsibility."
The garden was quiet.
Flowers rested beneath the winter sun, still holding pieces of snow between their petals. The air felt clean for the first time that day.
And, like always now, Caelan stood at the far end of the path, guarding the gate.
Lyra walked toward him.
With every step, her heart beat harder.
She stopped a few feet away.
"You stand here every day," she said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Do you ever get tired?"
He looked surprised by the question. "Yes."
She blinked. She had expected a softer, polite answer.
"Then why don't you show it?"
"Because someone must always stand firm," he said simply.
Silence followed.
Lyra looked at the sky for a moment, then back at him. "Did you have family?"
Caelan's eyes lowered. "Once."
"Where are they?"
"Gone."
He did not explain.
She did not ask.
"I envy you," she said softly.
He looked up in shock. "Why?"
"You were allowed to lose something," she said. "I was born already losing myself."
He did not understand fully, but he felt the sadness in her voice.
"I would trade places with you," he said quietly.
"For the crown?" she asked.
"For your safety," he answered.
Lyra felt her heart twist.
---
That evening, rumors spread through the palace.
The northern border had trouble. Villages were going silent. Merchants were not returning.
Whispers of war moved through the halls like shadows.
Lyra heard the adults talking behind closed doors.
She could not hear the details.
But she could feel fear growing.
---
Late that night, she could not sleep.
The palace felt too quiet.
She wrapped herself in a cloak and slipped onto the balcony. The moon was high and pale. The courtyard below was empty, except for one figure.
Caelan stood alone at his post.
She leaned slightly forward. "Caelan."
He looked up quickly. "Your Highness, you should not be outside."
"Neither should you," she replied gently.
"This is my duty."
"And being a princess is mine," she said. "Yet neither of us chose our duty."
He had no answer to that.
After a moment, he said, "Are you afraid?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes."
He gripped his sword a little tighter. "Then I will stand even more carefully tonight."
Her lips curved into a soft smile. "Thank you."
Their eyes met again in the silver light.
And for the first time, both of them understood the same truth at the same moment.
They were no longer strangers.
---
Far away, beyond the bright walls of Aurelion, something dark was moving.
And neither the princess nor the knight could yet see how close it was.