I smiled.
"My wish is to be the the knight for one of my brothers—whoever proves worthy," I said.
Silence fell. Everyone was shocked—even my parents. It was like Ellie was rejecting her future crown indirectly by supporting her brothers. Something no one expected.
Ellie knew her brothers would gladly give her the crown one day, especially if it meant protecting her. But that wasn't what she wanted. Whispers of her becoming the next ruler had already begun, but this... this was the perfect opportunity to stop it.
She didn't need the crown. She already had everything she truly desired.
"Does that mean you're rejecting the crown in the future?" Theo asked, his voice quiet.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied with a smile.
Even Theo didn't look pleased with the decision, but in the end, he respected it. And just like that, the hunting competition came to a close.
Meanwhile, in the church...
"She is such a foolish child," the Saintess muttered.
"Who?" the priest asked.
"The princess. She just rejected her future crown. And now, it won't be easy to bring her to the Holy Land," the Saintess said, irritation lacing her tone.
"Is it because you don't know the real story, Saintess? You can't even touch a strand of her hair," the priest replied calmly.
The Saintess shot him a look like he was the fool. But it didn't matter. They had already infiltrated the palace—and they would achieve their goal, no matter what.
....................................................................................
The day passed in a blur of steel and sweat. I spent most of it training and guiding the White Knights, correcting stances, giving pointers, and sparring when needed. But amid the flurry of motion, one constant remained—him.
Young Count William.
He wasn't exactly subtle. Whether by accident or design, he always seemed to be near me. Watching. Listening. Waiting.
Was it just coincidence?
Ellie didn't realize it yet, but she had already become someone special to William. To him, she was like the sun—dazzling, powerful... and untouchable. But the moment came when the untouchable offered a challenge.
It happened during one of the sparring sessions. The field buzzed with training, dust swirling with the breeze. Then, William stepped forward, eyes locked on mine.
"Princess," he said, voice steady, "may I have a fight with you?"
A hush fell over the courtyard.
The golden boy—brilliant, noble, and flawless—asking the princess to spar. It was bold, risky even. If he lost, he could be mocked. If he won, he could be accused of overstepping. But I saw something else in his eyes: sincerity.
And truth be told—I had wanted to challenge him from the very first day I saw him.
"Why not?" I replied with a smirk.
The match drew attention. Knights and squires paused to watch, some whispering, some simply staring. Blades clashed, footwork danced, but it didn't last long.
With a clean movement, I disarmed him and brought my sword's tip to his chest.
"I lost, Princess," William said with a sheepish grin, kneeling beneath my blade.
I lowered my sword and extended a hand. "Not bad, Young Count."
He took it, his grip firm. The crowd burst into cheers—not because I won, but because of what the moment symbolized.
That was the day we truly started talking. And soon, William became one of my most trusted allies.
Later that evening, in princess chamber…
The letters arrived—one from Noyal, the other from Liam. No delay. No hesitation.
"Dear Ellie,
Why did you make such a decision without even telling us? Father and Mother were heartbroken.
You know we would've given it to you—there's nothing more important to us than you.
Please reconsider. We miss you terribly. Semester is nearly ending. We'll be coming home soon.
Yours always,
Your loving brothers,
Noyal and Liam" _
I sighed.
Of course, they wouldn't be happy. But this... this was something I had to do.
Our father had to kill his own brothers to claim the throne. I could never bear the thought of history repeating itself. Not with Noyal. Not with Liam. I would rather walk away than ever raise a blade against them.
But little did I know—peace was never mine to claim so easily.A knock came at the door.
"Princess," said Lilly, stepping in with an unmistakable frown, "the Saintess is here."