Eden didn't stop walking until the rows of houses thinned and the glow of the streetlamps grew faint. The night air was cool, brushing against her skin, but the chaos in her mind burned hot.
She muttered to herself, words tumbling faster with every step. "A secret daughter. Of a king. Seriously? How am I supposed to process that? Yesterday I was a nobody—just the PA of a washed-up actress. And now I'm apparently royal blood?" She let out a shaky laugh that bordered on a scoff. "Maybe next week they'll tell me I have a long-lost twin, too."
Behind her, Davin followed in silence, his long strides matching her erratic pace. He didn't try to interrupt. He just let her talk, his hands in his pockets, his gaze steady.
Eden kicked a pebble across the empty street. "All these years, I thought Mom just didn't want to talk about my dad because it hurt too much. Turns out, she was hiding an entire kingdom from me." She spun around suddenly, catching him off guard. "And you—what are you doing here anyway? Is this part of your mission? Babysitting the confused princess?"
Davin stopped a few feet away, the faint glow of a lamppost cutting across his sharp features. "I'm making sure you're safe," he said simply.
"Safe?" She let out a bitter laugh. "From what? The truth?"
"From the people who don't want that truth to reach you," he replied, his tone even, calm—too calm.
Eden turned away again, crossing her arms tightly. "This is insane. Completely insane. I don't even know what's real anymore. My mother—my mother—was married to a king. How does someone just forget to mention that?"
"She didn't forget," Davin said quietly. "She was trying to protect you."
She whirled around again. "Protect me from what, exactly? My father's ghost? Some royal drama from a country I've never even been to?"
"From people who would've used you as leverage," he said. "From danger that's been waiting for years for a chance like this."
Eden stared at him, her defiance faltering under the steady conviction in his voice. For a moment, the only sound between them was the rustle of leaves and her uneven breathing.
"Do you know what it's like," she said finally, her voice trembling, "to wake up one day and realize your whole life has been a lie?"
Davin hesitated. "More than you think."
That made her look up. There was something in his eyes—something quiet and tired, like he carried secrets of his own. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
He took a step closer. "I know this is a lot to take in. And I don't expect you to accept it overnight. But everything your mother said—every word of it—is true. Whether you believe it or not, your life has changed."
Eden lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around the bracelet on her wrist—the rings, the proof of everything she wanted to deny. "I didn't ask for any of this," she whispered.
"I know," he said softly. "But sometimes the world doesn't ask what we want. It just… hands us the truth and dares us to face it."
She looked up at him, searching his expression for mockery, but found none—only calm sincerity. It disarmed her more than any argument could.
Finally, she sighed. "You're really not going to leave me alone, are you?"
"Not while I still have orders to keep you safe," he said, a faint smile ghosting across his lips.
Eden shook her head, half exasperated, half relieved. "Great. So now I have a royal bodyguard on top of a royal identity crisis."
Davin's smile deepened just slightly. "You're handling it better than most people would."
She let out a small laugh, short and humorless. "Trust me, Lieutenant, you haven't seen me panic yet."
He gestured toward the quiet road back to her house. "Then maybe we should head back before you give me a reason to."
"Princess, I think we should head back," Davin said, keeping a few paces behind her. They had been walking for hours now—past dim streetlights, past shuttered shops, until even the hum of traffic faded. "You've been walking non-stop. Aren't you tired yet?"
Eden didn't respond. Her pace stayed brisk, her silence sharp. Davin sighed quietly and adjusted his stride to match hers.
"Hey—Princess," he tried again.
She stopped abruptly, spinning to face him, her eyes flashing. "Stop calling me that."
The way she said it—firm, edged with something close to fear—made him freeze for a second. That tone could scare a soldier into silence, he thought.
"That's who you are," he said carefully, though his voice softened. "And walking alone in a place like this—it isn't safe for you. We should—"
She turned again, glaring. "Did I ask you to follow me?"
"No," he admitted.
"Right. So if you're tired, go back. I want to be alone. Is that too much to ask?" Her words tumbled faster, trembling with anger and disbelief. "A few hours ago, I was just Eden—a simple girl with a simple life. Sure, my mom's famous, but I stayed out of the spotlight. Now, suddenly, my father's a king?" She let out a bitter laugh. "What's next? Do I get a throne? Maybe a crown to go with it?"
"Well," Davin said without thinking, "you might be."
Her head snapped up. "What?"
He cleared his throat. "We should just go back, Princess."
"I said stop calling me that!" she snapped. "You're just as stubborn as—ugh, forget it!" She turned away, resuming her quick, angry stride.
Davin exhaled slowly. "Do you really plan on walking forever?" he asked, catching up.
"I'll do whatever I want," she shot back. "Stop following me."
"It's not safe," he repeated, patience thinning but voice still calm.
"No one knows who I am, Commander! No one! So don't worry—no one's going to bow, or kidnap me, or whatever royal drama you're imagining!"
She didn't get to finish. Two men stepped out from the shadows ahead, their movements slow and deliberate.
Before Eden could react, one of them reached for her arm—but Davin was faster. He caught the man's wrist midair, twisting it just enough to make the man wince.
"Keep your hands to yourself, pal," Davin said, his voice low, cold.
He stepped forward, shielding Eden behind him. "Stay back," he muttered over his shoulder.
The man jerked his arm free, his face twisting in anger. "What's your problem, huh? Is she with you?"
Eden hesitated, heart pounding. "I—no, I don't know him," she blurted, shaking her head.
Davin turned to her sharply. "Seriously?"
She gave a helpless shrug. "You said I'm supposed to stay hidden."
The thug grinned. "See? She doesn't even know you. So mind your own business!"
Before Davin could answer, the man swung a fist—fast, hard, and unprovoked. Davin turned just in time for the blow to connect squarely with his jaw. The impact sent him crashing to the ground.