Heyyyyyooo I'm back slightly kind of lol, this scene/part I had written a long time back and just kind of finished it, I went with a flashback scene just bc I'll keep you all in some suspense about what happened to Musa lol.

Anyways, I have so much to address but I ceebs rn HAHAH SORRY I'll try and address the concerns next chapter. Currently my apartment is a biohazard and I probably won't have my life together for a while...

The longsword in her hand sliced through the air in janky, unbalanced motions as the 12-year-old princess of Solaria let out a frustrated grasp. Shaking her head, she swung again with more enthusiasm than skill, her feet awkwardly shifting in the dirt as she tried to mimic the soldiers' movements she had seen during her turn about the arena during her walks. Her golden hair, usually neat and tidy, was coming loose from its braids, falling over her eyes and adding to her exasperation.

She was never going to amass to the sharpness and precision she had seen a few days ago when the commander in training had daringly saved her life, but she could barely even keep her blade straight as she hacked relentlessly at the poor tree deep in the Solarian royal garden. At this rate, she would not hold a candle to the might and strength of the one leading the future Solarian army.

Stella let out a huff, brushing back her bangs, thick with sweat as it stuck to her forehead and reddened face.

No, now was not the time to give up.

She had roughly a half hour before her father returned from his meeting and she would be forbidden to go near the training arena let alone get her hands on a sword ever again.

King Radius of Solaria was a pacifist in all meanings of the word. He did not like to engage in war and attempted to keep peace on all fronts. It was partly the reason Solaria was elected to the helm of the Magix alliance and partly because it was Solaria's great sacrifice many years ago that ended the last war.

After the attempted assassination of the princess a few weeks ago, the king had all gates closed to the public, allowing only authorised personnel to enter. Stella was instructed to always stay by her governess's side and not stray outside without her guards.

But the young princess had plans of her own – she was going to learn to fight and protect, just like the boy who saved her life.

Shaking her head, she closed her eyes, reminiscing of the short calm moment when his arm wrapped around her body and his sword protected her. She could feel her heartbeat begin to pound in her chest and her ears burned at the memory that was forever engraved in her mind.

One day, she would be just as good as him – no, better!

"Your Highness?" Came a confused voice and Stella yelped, spinning around with the sword sloppily in hand at the presence behind her.

Blue eyes and blonde hair immediately caught her attention as the familiar figure raised his hands in confused surrender at the other end of the blade.

His Highness, Prince Sky of Eraklyeon.

"Sky?" Stella asked between pants, leaning her weight on one foot to calm her fatigue, "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing, Your Highness," He shot back, furrowing his eyebrows as he took in the sight before him. She was strapped into a pair of riding pants and a leather long-sleeve top that was a stark contrast to her usual bright yellow frocks and tiaras, "Wait a minute, are you using a sword?"

Stella chuckled sheepishly, hiding the weapon she had taken from the knight's training room behind her back. The princess didn't know the first thing about using a sword, and this was the first thing on the rack.

"Please don't tell Daddy," She sighed meekly, drooping her shoulders in defeat.

Sky pursed his lips in thought, as he took in her pleading pout, "Fine but that sword is way too big for you – try a short sword," He exhaled in defeat and extended his hand, asking for the blade.

Stella gasped in excitement as she bounced up and down in excitement, "Really? Can you teach me?!" She asked, handing the long sword over to him. Sky tilted the blade side to side, his reflection mirroring the sharp polished steel.

"Fine, I am the best fighter around – I suppose I'll have to train you," He said with a puff of his chest as the princess rolled her eyes at his prideful tone but grinned anyway, "Let's go to the arena then, we can find you a wooden sword to practice with,"

"Oh! But we can't let Daddy see, you know how he is,"

Sky pursed his lips, "He's in a meeting with my father right now,"

Stella furrowed her eyebrows, she was quite up to date with the affairs of her father's court and meeting with King Erendor of Eraklyeon wasn't in the schedule, "What for?"

The young prince gazed at her with a blank look, "Our engagement,"

"Oh,"

The two heirs gazed at each other in silence before continuing to walk wordlessly through the garden. Prince Sky and Princess Stella had been betrothed since birth, a powerful alliance orchestrated by King Erendor to join the Eraklyeon and Solarian forces, as the two highest-ranking kingdoms in Magix.

The Prince of Eraklyeon had been raised to be an heir bound to his duty, and befittingly Sky was a very dutiful person who knew the benefits of this alliance. Plus, Stella was his childhood friend, so if he were to marry anyone for the wellbeing of his kingdom and people, she would be the last person he would object to. And why would he? He was proud, and confident, and saw himself as the best match for her.

Stella, on the other hand, felt a pit in her stomach. She knew the reason King Radius had called this meeting with the King of Eraklyeon, and it was per her request – she just didn't realise her father would oblige so quickly. She had decided she wanted to break off the engagement—but she had yet to tell him.

She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood as she spoke her mind as per the usual. "You know, I heard Lady Azalea has her own royal garden. The King of Linphea filled it with all of the rarest flowers in the realm – how romantic."

Sky barely spared her a glance, his gaze firm on the sword as he skillfully spun the hilt in his hand. "When I'm king, I'd double our defences. A perfect offence is a perfect defence."

Stella scrunched her face disdainfully, "I'm not letting you waste money on defences! It should go to the kingdom and town, build more schools and houses-"

"Your Highness, our money is dealt with by the king's court," Sky cut in smugly. "The queen doesn't get much say in that."

"The queen gets a say in her kingdom's affairs," she shot back.

"At best, you'll get to pick your handmaids." He grinned playfully.

She shoved her shoulder against his, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Sky, I'm not letting you rule my kingdom just because of some arrangement." Pulling himself up Sky huffed at her, brushing the dust off his royal blue coat.

"It'll be my kingdom too, when we marry," He replied back pointedly and Stella opened her loose mouth, ready to tell him that she was a meeting away from breaking off their engagement so they will indeed not be marrying as per his plan.

But she was promptly cut off.

"Your highnesses, with all due respect, the training room doesn't want to hear your marriage bickering,"

Stella's breath hitched. She knew that voice.

Brandon Silver.

"Brandon," Stella murmured under her breath at the knight who stood in front of her, a slight pit of excitement and nervousness welling in her stomach.

He stood before them, taller than she remembered, with the same cold brown eyes that had captivated her ever since he saved her life.

Her knight in shining armour.

Sky's face scrunched, a confused and haughty look across his face, "And you are?"

Stella bit her lower lip, the excitement bubbling in her, causing her to jump at the chance to introduce him, "This is Brandon Silver. He is the high commander's son," Saying his name felt so good, she relished in how nicely it rolled off her tongue.

"Ahh right, Sir Silver," Sky cleared his throat, straightening his royal coat in the presence of the commander in training, "My apologies, Princess Stella and I were just-"

Stella on the other hand couldn't stop staring at him, a mesmerised look in her eyes as she fiddled with the laces on her brown leather riding jacket. "-Practicing with the sword!" She interjected quickly before Sky could finish, "Sky was just teaching me how to use the sword,"

Brandon's blank gaze flickered to her, a slither of emotion flashed across them at her words. Sky, on the other hand, looked confused and slightly flabbergasted, he had never seen the princess so squirmy around someone before.

"Right Sky?" She asked a little too eagerly.

"Right…," The prince replied, deepening his confusion.

"We were wondering if we could watch you train?" Stella spoke, going rogue on her intentions to learn the sword in the first place. Brandon furrowed his eyebrows, a clear distaste in his eyes for how willing the princess was to be in his presence.

"I've finished my regime with the knights," He told her bluntly, his nose scrunched from her extreme eagerness.

Now it was the young prince who interjected, "You train the knights?"

Brandon's cold brown eyes flickered to him, "Is there a problem, your highness?"

"No I mean – it's not a problem, but you aren't high commander yet, yet you train the knights," Sky murmured thoughtfully, a sort of pride in his voice as he added, "Father doesn't even let me train the Eraklyeon Army yet and I'm the best fighter in our Kingdom,"

Brandon's jaw ticked, "With all due respect, Your Highness, a monarch doesn't amass to a commander in fighting,"

Sky's eye twitched in irritation. The blonde prince was a prideful man indeed as he took a step closer, "You suggest that you are stronger than I?"

Brandon's face remained unfazed as his brown eyes flickered to the young princess who watched him intently, a dazzled look in her gaze. His face creased with irritation at the way she stood, looking bewildered – the look in her eyes was beginning to piss him off and his patience was stretched thin already from a rough day.

"No, Your Highness, I am simply reiterating the facts. A monarch doesn't lead the army, a commander does," He spoke bluntly much to Sky's growing annoyance.

"That is not how it is on Eraklyeon!"

Brandon's expression didn't waiver despite the red colour creeping up Sky's neck, "That is why Eraklyeon remains not the most powerful kingdom,"

That did it!

He burst, his face turning visibly red at the cold and indifferent tone from the mere solider in his presence. "I challenge you to a duel!"

Brandon exhaled sharply through his nose, his expression unchanging. "I gain nothing from duelling you, Your Highness," he stated, voice calm, detached. "My time is better spent training soldiers who will actually see combat."

Damn him!

Sky's eye twitched, his pride clearly stung. "Afraid you'll lose?"

The young commander barely reacted, only shifting his weight slightly, his brown eyes betraying not a shred of concern or care. "Hardly," he replied smoothly. "But humiliating a man in front of the girl he is meant to marry? That hardly seems honourable."

Sky stiffened, fists clenching, but before he could retort, Brandon let his gaze flicker coldly to Stella upon his sharp words. He noted the way she watched him—an uncomfortable look in her gaze as her eyes had torn from him to stare at the young prince with…concern?

His face creased with irritation towards the both of them before he sneered, "Good day your Highnesses," And turned to make his leave before Sky erupted out of sheer pride.

"Come back and fight me!" He demanded, "Are you not the warrior you so claim to be?!"

He didn't respond; he didn't even turn around to acknowledge himEach step he took seemed to fuel Sky's anger until the prince turned sharply to face Stella, voice dripping with scorn.

"Princess Stella, it seems your future high commander is weak! He refuses because he knows he will lose! I worry for you, a princess should not place her life in the hands of a man who lacks the strength to protect her." His bruised ego was sending him off the edge. Sky was usually very well put together but this mere 14-year-old high commander in training was making a mockery of the crown and he will not stand for it!

But Stella herself did not take lightly to anyone berating the man who saved her life. Her blood boiled as the young princess opened her mouth to defend him with every fibre of her being but before she could respond, Brandon Silver cut her off.

"What did you say?" He asked, his voice eerily calm as he froze in his step.

Sky let out a triumphant laugh, though there was a nervous edge to it at the sharpness of the young commander's tone. "I said—"

"I heard you the first time, Your Highness," Brandon interrupted, finally turning. His dark eyes held something unreadable, but his posture remained controlled.

Then, as if Sky's words had suddenly amused him, a slow smirk curled at the corner of his lips. "Very well, Your Highness," He murmured in a steel-like tone, "I accept your duel. Perhaps it would be a valuable demonstration. If nothing else, it might be entertaining."

Stella's eyes widened in surprise. She had expected Brandon to reject the challenge outright, to dismiss Sky with his usual indifference. Yet, something in his stance—his deliberate, unhurried movements—made her uneasy. He wasn't simply accepting out of duty; he wanted this.

Sky seized the opportunity, straightening with an arrogant grin. "Then prepare yourself, Sir Silver! We will duel here at sunset,"

Brandon gave a curt, indifferent nod, but his eyes lingered on Stella, catching the flicker of awe in her expression despite her attempts to mask it. A small scoff escaped his lips, cold and amused as he turned to meet Sky's haughty blue eyes.

If anything, Brandon seemed almost bored—another royal throwing a tantrum, another nobleman flaunting power he did not truly understand. He had seen it all before, and he despised it. Solarian or Eraklyeonian, it made no difference to him. They were all the same.

One day he would no longer have to challenge princes or protect princesses. He would give the orders, and they would obey without a choice.

Another distant memory.

She was beginning to have them more frequently, a grazed reminder of a childhood where she was hopelessly in love with a man who only saw her as a burden – someone he hated.

The dim light from the enchanted lamp flickered onto the ceiling as night shrouded the sky beyond Stella's prison room. It was well after dark, but the quietness of the palace did nothing to ease the thoughts reeling in her mind, keeping her from falling asleep.

Every time she tried to sleep, some jagged memory prodded at the back of her mind, forgotten, hazy, and unreliable to decipher. They would haunt her, relentlessly reminding her of the façade of the man she thought she loved.

Her latest memory was of the day Sky demanded a fight with Brandon, back when they were kids. Sky had always been a prideful and haughty prince when he was younger – traits that ultimately had him kneeling in the rink, covered in dirt and bruises as a result of young Brandon Silver diligently handing him his own backside.

Despite gaining a wave of respect for the future high commander that day, Sky remained prideful. It wasn't until the death of King Erendor around two years ago that Sky changed completely. He ascended the throne prematurely with a coronation in the middle of Drakar's rule and was forced into joining Andreas's allegiance.

The Sky she knew now was guarded, detached and careful – despite Eraklyeon being a part of Drakar's syndicate, he still found a way to relay information to the rebellion. If any of the High Lord's council were to find out, he would no doubt be killed for treason.

He had become a part of Andreas's game. They all had.

Stella turned over, her jaw clenched as she stared at the wall beside her bed, trying to fall asleep again. Her mind was being bombarded with the memories of the last couple of days.

Particularly the harrowing damage on Brandon's skin when he lifted his shirt. She had so many questions, and the more she thought about it, the amount of anxiety doubled. She had convinced herself that Brandon deserved everything he had coming, he was at the forefront of her kingdom's demise.

Andreas may have orchestrated it all, but ultimately, it was Brandon's sword that was covered in her father's blood. So what of it if his own father was inflicting him with pain? He deserved it right?

She was going to kill him right? Why did it matter?

Stella's jaw tightened as she tried so hard to ignore the irking feeling in her stomach despite her telling herself otherwise. The images of his bloodied skin was too much to ignore, the deep purple and green bruises that blotched any patch of skin that wasn't bleeding kept flashing in her mind.

Dammit, this isn't helping – she needed a release.

Throwing off the covers, Stella swung her legs off the bed and stood. The cold floor sent a jolt up her spine, grounding her determination. She wasn't going to sleep, best to tire herself out and collapse from the exhaustion.

It didn't take long for her to wander down the halls and find herself in the only place that seems to grant her the mercy of getting her mind off of her problems.

The room was dark, save for the faint glow of dormant machinery beeping and powering in the background. Tecna had long since retired for the night, but Stella knew how to navigate the space – she had been coming here for days since her moment with Brandon at the old knight's training arena.

Her fingers brushed over the control panel, powering up the digital training arena. Blue lights flickered to life, illuminating the circular platform and setting up the visual environment she had requested. Training bots materialised in the once-empty space and clicked as their sensors locked onto her as their target.

Stella stepped onto the platform, fists up with a determined flourish. The bots lunged, and she met them head-on. Steel clashed against her bare fists as she blocked and punched right through the vital points of the holographic machinery. The rhythm of combat was a welcome distraction, forcing her mind to focus solely on survival.

Her muscles burned with each movement as sweat dripped from her brow. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to move, punching through one bot before spinning to dodge another swipe aimed at her midsection.

Her limbs screamed at every move, fatigue creeping through her joints as she continued through sheer willpower. She wanted to shut her mind and focus on the fight, ignore everything else around her.

She wanted to forget the events of the night before. The kiss, the lashes on his skin. Everything.

Yet even as she fought, questions gnawed at the edges of her consciousness.

Would Brandon ever defy his father? Surely his will to serve that bastard wasn't so strong that he couldn't be swayed, couldn't be reasoned it? Maybe there was some humanity left in him that she could appeal to.

He definitely wasn't like before, not like the cold commander that made her fight was days on end or the man who ambushed her rebellion and killed Noah.

She could feel it.

He was slipping.

Maybe he had slipped far enough that she could convince him?

The memory of her kiss with him surfaced unwarrantedly—how his lips pressed against hers, hesitant and unmoving. She had told herself it was only a distraction, a calculated ploy to catch him off guard. But no amount of reasoning dulled the ache that followed.

He had kissed her back without a second to spare, fervently at that. Why had he done it? Was it desperation, or had she glimpsed a part of Brandon that even he refused to acknowledge? The swirl of emotions unsettled her, mixing confusion with an undeniable yearning she didn't dare confront.

One thing was for sure: she enjoyed that kiss more than she dared admit.

Stella took down the last bot – grabbing its metal head and wrapping her legs over its body to swing it to the ground with a hard slam. As soon as she had it pinned, the hologram disappeared as she sat panting heavily. The arena fell silent, except for her ragged breaths. Stella got up, trying to catch her breath when she felt it—the unmistakable presence of someone watching her.

She turned, her mind distracted by the man behind her that she didn't notice the training regime hadn't finished. The last training bot launched at her, aiming right for her face, but before she could react, she felt the presence dart closer.

"Don't take your eyes off your target, princess," came a familiar, cold voice as his fist slammed into the head of the training bot. The hologram glitched at the sheer impact of the hit, and the regime ended, making it disappear.

Stella's head snapped up. Brandon stood beside her, arms crossed over his chest, his expression as impassive as ever. His brown eyes, dark and unreadable, seemed to pierce straight through her.

He was dressed in his usual black cargo pants, boots and sleeveless top. He was cleanly shaved, hair wet and tousled from a shower and the scent of pine wood embraced her sense.

Her heart skipped a beat as she studied his face—not from fear, but from the memory of that kiss. Heat crept up her neck, but she forced herself to meet his gaze without flinching.

"Never look away until you kill your target," He told her, and Stella narrowed her eyes into slits as they settled on his pointed gaze.

"I don't kill," She retorted sharply, "I've never killed a single innocent person and I never will,"

This time, his usually indifferent expression turned into one of curiosity, "Oh?" His voice dropped to a snarky tone as he stepped closer making her throat tighten, "But you seem to have no problem wanting to kill me,"

Stella glared at him, standing only inches apart. "You are not innocent, you will be the only man I will kill," she spat, her eyes narrowing in challenge.

A faint, humourless smile tugged at Brandon's lips. "I'm honoured, princess," he murmured, his tone cold yet something flickered in his gaze that she couldn't quite place, "So tell me, have you realised you can't kill me, so you resort to other tricks to get my attention?"

Her teeth gritted as she shoved back the echoing mental images of his lips on hers, his hands on her body, running over her skin in ways she had only ever dreamed about as a teenager.

Stella's gaze remained locked on his, her breath still catching in her chest as the heat of the kiss still fresh in her mind. She forced herself to exhale, fighting the urge to show anything. "That kiss," she said, her tone flat, "was for the purpose of distracting you long enough to kill you. Don't mistake it for anything more."

"I see," he murmured, his voice dropping lower. "So it wasn't because you wanted to kiss me, then?" He leaned in just a fraction, his gaze never leaving hers.

He was taunting her – she knew that. By why was her neck hairs standing on end?

Stella's eyes burned into his. "You disgust me," she muttered, her words sharp, like a dagger, "I would never,"

He didn't react. Or maybe he did a flash of sharp emotion across his face but she told herself she didn't care. She was too busy forcing her eyes to glare at his instead of wandering down his face to his lips.

Stars. Why was this so hard?

Brandon chuckled softly, stepping back slightly, his expression settling to be unreadable again. "Very well, princess, if that is what you so claim." His voice dripped with mockery, a glint of something darker lurking beneath the surface. "I hope the next distraction is as entertaining as the last."

"Don't flatter yourself, High Commander," She hissed at him, "The next time I go for your life – it will be the last," He stared at her eyes, the unwavering tenacity that was held in those darkened hazel eyes.

Those eyes that once glowed with bright admiration were now glaring at him with nothing but unshaken determination. A determination to end his life.

"I don't doubt it, princess," He replied, voice almost hopeful in nature. Like when he had encouraged her to shoot the gun at him, the look in his eyes was the same.

Like he wanted to die.

"But, in your current state, I don't think that's possible," He leaned a little closer, "And I won't be as easily distracted by any more of your tricks."

Just what did he mean by easily distracted? He knew she had the dagger in her hand the moment he entered the room; she could not hide her blood lust from him even if she tried. He knew she would stab him, at any moment, in fact.

Did the kiss really distract a man of that calibre?

"You will have to fight better than that to achieve your goal, princess." He continued before straightening up with a stern look. As if on cue, the training room whirred back to life, restarting the regime from its short break between levels.

The training bots reactivated, materialising on the other side of the arena as if sensing new challengers. Stella turned to him, her face gleaming with a challenging look, "Why don't you put your skills where your mouth is, high commander?" She asked, tilting her head towards the training holograms.

He scoffed, a smirk twitching at the corner of his lips. She expected him to turn away like he usually did, dismissing her challenge with a sharp remark. Instead, to her surprise, he stepped forward, unsheathing the two short blades strapped to his thighs.

Dual daggers. Her preferred weapon.

Instead of wielding them, he tossed them at her. Stella caught them instinctively, her fingers curling around the hilts. "I suppose you'll need these if you want to keep up."

How did he know her weapons? Stella stared at the blades in her hands in surprise, she hadn't used a weapon like this since her capture and even then she had lost her own in the blast.

No. It was merely a coincidence.

She barely had time to process it before Brandon moved. A flicker of green light ignited in his grip as his energy sword materialized mid-motion, slicing clean through the first bot before it even had the chance to strike.

Blinking back her trance, Stella launched herself, mirroring his attack as she cut down another bot. The arena kept materialising them; this level was harder and more unforgiving than the last as she manoeuvred through the throng, ramming her dagger through the head of one bot before round-housing another.

She fought more in tune with her familiar tools, her mode moving in a swift, practised motion. But out of the corner of her eye, she could see him, like a storm. Brandon was impossibly fast, precise, and overwhelming. She found herself a half-step too slow, her rhythm a fraction off, like trying to match a dance to music she couldn't quite hear.

At the speed and patterns he moved, she could see he had seen it all in combat. She had never seen High Commander Brandon Silver truly fight – maybe he wasn't wrong when he said she couldn't kill him as is.

Distracted and exhausted from her last fight, she faltered in her step just as a new bot came at her. Before she could regain her flow, Brandon moved – cutting a path right to her as if he'd had his eyes on her the whole time.

He shifted, sweeping a bot's legs from under it with a fluid, almost effortless motion. Before she could react, his hand found her wrist, guiding her blade in a sharp arc. The added force sent her strike clean through the next bot, the sheer power of it reverberating through her bones.

A breath caught in her throat—he had used her, moved her as if they were a single entity. In the same movement, she used him as a launchpad, pushing herself off with more force to tear through a few bots at a time. And suddenly, she wasn't just fighting near him—she was moving with him.

A perfect rhythm.

Every slash, every pivot, every strike—seamless. As if she had trained with him for years. The realization sent a jolt through her, but there was no time to dwell on it. He moved, she followed, and together they dismantled wave after wave of opponents. His motions weren't just powerful; they were calculated, disciplined, and honed through years of battle.

He wasn't the boy she had once known, the commander-in-training she had watched from afar.

This was someone else entirely.

A seasoned war machine.

But he was holding back.

She saw it, in the way his strikes weren't as fast as they could be, in the way he gave her space to move, allowing her to take his opponents rather than overshadowing her with the full brunt of his skill. He wasn't fighting at his limit. Not even close. He had never fought at his limit with her.

A shiver ran through her. Just how strong was he?

A bot lunged, and without thinking, she spun. He was there, catching her movement as if anticipating it, his blade striking the moment hers did. The bot crumbled between them, and for a breath, they stood still in the aftermath, eyes meeting.

He had felt it, too.

The training room flickered, signalling the end of the round. The silence that followed was deafening as they stood in front of each other. Stella let out a heaved breath, her heart racing from the exhaustion and the sweat stuck to her like skin.

"Not half bad, princess." Brandon's voice was deep, breaking the silence as his chest rose and fell with a breath. "Definitely a little less frantic with the blade than I remember."

She gave him a look, too fatigued to snap something back.

"Tired?" He asked, his voice a little less cold, almost airy if that was even the right word to describe the way he spoke. But it was definitely different, more relaxed if anything.

"Shut up," She managed to wheeze out.

He smirked, stepping closer, "I'm surprised you even learned to fight this well, princess."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aren't princesses not supposed to fight?" He shot back, mocking the saying everyone would tell her when she was younger, "Don't they usually sit on their thrones and let their soldiers do all the dirty work?"

"Maybe if you didn't kill my father and usurp my kingdom, I'd have the privilege of sitting on my throne." Her words were as sharp as she intended them, and he raised his eyebrows, almost surprised at her forked tongue response.

"Touche," He murmured, the smirk widened on his face, he walked around her, arms behind his back like a predator circling their cornered prey.

"I'm going to fight for my kingdom, Brandon. If you think princesses don't fight, then you've never met one like me." She stepped closer to him, standing tall to show his presence didn't scare her.

The determination burned so bright in her eyes that his composure faltered for a moment. She was nothing like the princess he remembered, who used to sloppily throw her wooden practice sword around in secret, and most certainly not the girl who clung onto him with tears streaming down her face when he protected her in the garden.

"Yes," He replied softly, "I have not met anyone like you, princess," Stella stared at him, winded at his tone, a stark comparison from his usual cold remarks or emotionless words.

"You have something to fight for, but as do we all. No one wants to give up on the only thing keeping them going," He added, and she stared into his unguarded eyes, a look in them that reflected a shard of his true feelings.

He was bound in shackles for something he truly believed in. Whether it was serving his father, having power or even conquering the realm, she couldn't tell, but whatever it was, he was willing to die for it.

A cause he would lay his life for, just like her.

"Fight for your kingdom, princess. But do not think your cause is any greater than mine," And just like that, his guard went back up – the mask of indifference regaining its place on his sharp features and his eyes losing the tenderness being replaced with the cool and cold exterior of High Commander Silver.

But this time, Stella couldn't ignore it.

He lowered his head slightly, almost in acknowledgement, "Goodnight princess. Don't wear yourself out,"

She watched him walk away, boots hitting the platform of the arena as they echoed in the room. It was exactly like that afternoon in the old knights training arena when he walked away from her when he was beginning to lose control of his true emotions.

Almost as if he didn't want her to see what really lay beneath that façade, but this time, his walls took longer to raise. The gate in his eyes didn't lock fast enough, and she was sure she caught a glimpse of it.

The guilt in his eyes.

He really has slipped.

WOOOOHOOOO! He's officially showing his feelings...a little...more...

Not sure when next time will be but I will try to update next week or even the week after...pls hang in there!

Lots of love,

Star