Chapter 1 _ Continues
The sun climbed higher, spilling its gold across the manicured gardens, but even its warmth could not reach the corners of the kingdom where shadows lingered. Kaelen and Seralinde still stood among the silver-leafed oaks, their fingers entwined, when the distant sound of hooves echoed across the marble walkways.
From the horizon emerged two figures, clad in armor that gleamed like the moon itself — the royal king and queen, rulers of Azeroth, known among their people not only for wisdom and valor but for their secret charge: they were the Night Protectors, sworn guardians of the kingdom's hidden magic.
King Alarion rode with quiet authority, his dark cloak billowing in the wind, a sword at his side that shimmered with a faint, silvery glow. Beside him, Queen Elyndra, graceful yet imposing, rode with unmatched poise, her sapphire eyes glinting with the knowledge of centuries, and the soft hum of protective spells whispered through her lips.
Kaelen instinctively bowed, his hand still holding the princess's. Seralinde straightened, her chest swelling with pride and awe.
"Rise, Prince Kaelen," King Alarion said, his voice resonant, echoing across the gardens like a deep, rolling drum. "You honor Azeroth by your presence, and you honor this princess by arriving without delay."
The queen's gaze softened, but there was an edge of steel beneath it, a warning Kaelen could feel even in the sunlight. "Seralinde," she said, "the dawn is bright, but the night always waits. You must learn — as must all of us — that danger is never far, and that true strength comes from courage, heart, and vigilance."
The princess nodded, a mixture of excitement and apprehension in her eyes. "I will remember, Mother. I will always honor your guidance."
King Alarion's eyes shifted to Kaelen, piercing yet approving. "And you, young prince… I sense a fire in your heart. A courage that will be tested like no other. Know this: the kingdom we guard is older than time, and it has survived because we protect not only its lands but its people… and its secrets."
Queen Elyndra added, her voice almost a whisper carried on the breeze, "The Nights of Azeroth are ours to guard. Shadows creep where light falters, and monsters take the forms of men. You are here now, Prince Kaelen, because destiny has chosen you to stand with us — even if you do not yet understand why."
Kaelen swallowed, feeling both awe and the weight of responsibility pressing upon him. He glanced at Seralinde, whose delicate hand still rested in his. "I… I will do all I can," he said, voice steady but full of quiet intensity. "For the kingdom. For you. For Azeroth."
King Alarion's stern expression softened into a rare smile. "Then perhaps your journey begins here, in the light of dawn, but know… the night will come soon enough."
A sudden breeze rattled the leaves, carrying a faint whisper that only the princess seemed to hear. She frowned, as if sensing something beyond the reach of the morning sun, an echo of shadow from the corners of Azeroth that had long been kept at bay.
Queen Elyndra's hand brushed Seralinde's shoulder gently. "Your path is entwined with his, and with ours. Learn quickly, for the night is patient, and those who would harm you are clever and cruel."
Kaelen's grip on the princess's hand tightened instinctively. "Whatever comes, I will protect her," he vowed aloud.
The king and queen exchanged a glance that spoke volumes — a mix of pride and foreboding, knowing that their young ward's first meeting with destiny had already begun, and that Azeroth's hidden darkness was watching.
And in that quiet, gilded moment, beneath silver leaves and golden sunlight, the threads of fate began to weave a story of courage, love, and heartbreak — one that would stretch from the dawn-lit gardens into the shadows of dungeons, and echo across Azeroth for generations to come.