Moonlight spilled quietly over the castle gardens.
Silver petals glimmered as the night breeze passed through rows of moonflowers, their faint glow painting the paths in soft light. The chaos of the past days—the battles, the revelations, the weight of destiny—felt distant here.
Kael Valcrest stood alone on the balcony, hands resting on the cold stone railing.
He had faced monsters without hesitation.
He had stood before kings without fear.
Yet his chest felt tight.
"…So this is harder than fighting a dragon," he murmured.
Behind him, footsteps echoed lightly.
"Talking to yourself again?"
Kael stiffened and turned.
Princess Elowen stood there, holding a lantern, her expression playful. Just behind her was Princess Seraphina, calm and elegant as ever, her hair glowing under the moonlight.
Kael straightened instantly. "I—uh—"
Seraphina smiled softly. "You don't need to explain. We guessed you'd come here."
Elowen tilted her head. "You always do when your thoughts get messy."
Kael coughed. "I do not."
Elowen grinned. "You do."
Hat, floating lazily nearby, nodded seriously.
"Confirmed."
Kael shot him a glare. Hat pretended not to see it.
Walking Without Titles
The three of them left the balcony and walked deeper into the garden. No guards followed. No nobles whispered.
Tonight, they weren't royalty and a baron.
Just three people beneath the same sky.
Elowen skipped ahead slightly, then turned back. "So. Are you going to keep avoiding us, or can we talk now?"
Kael stopped walking.
"I wasn't avoiding you," he said quietly.
Seraphina glanced at him. "Then why do you look like someone sentenced to execution whenever you see us?"
"…I don't."
Elowen crossed her arms. "You do."
Kael sighed and finally spoke honestly.
"I didn't want to misunderstand anything."
Seraphina slowed her steps. "Misunderstand?"
Kael nodded. "After what Father—after what the King said… I didn't know where I was allowed to stand."
Elowen blinked. "Allowed?"
Kael looked away. "You're princesses. I'm just—"
"Kael."
Seraphina's voice was gentle, but firm.
She stepped in front of him.
"Look at me."
He did.
Her eyes held no authority. No royal distance.
Only sincerity.
"You didn't save us because you were 'allowed' to," she said. "You did it because you cared."
Elowen stepped closer too. "And because you're stubborn."
Kael gave a weak smile.
Truths That Couldn't Be Hidden
Seraphina took a slow breath.
"When I thought you were hurt… when I thought you might not come back…" her voice trembled slightly. "I realized something."
Kael's heart skipped.
"I realized I was afraid of a world without you in it."
Silence fell.
Elowen clenched her lantern tightly. "…I felt the same."
Kael stared at them, stunned.
"I tried to pretend it was gratitude," Elowen admitted. "Then admiration."
She laughed softly. "Turns out, my heart didn't care what I called it."
Kael's hands trembled slightly.
"I never meant to pull you into something you didn't choose," Seraphina said. "If this feels forced, we'll stop."
Elowen nodded. "No matter what."
Kael shook his head immediately. "No. It's not that."
"Then what is it?" Elowen asked.
Kael swallowed.
"I'm scared," he admitted. "Not of monsters. Not of gods."
"But of failing you."
Their expressions softened.
A Promise Instead of a Confession
Kael exhaled slowly.
"I don't know what the future holds," he said. "I don't know what kind of hero—or person—I'll become."
He looked at both of them.
"But I know this."
"I don't want to run."
Seraphina reached for his hand.
Elowen took the other.
"We're not asking you to rush," Seraphina whispered.
Elowen smiled. "We just don't want you to disappear."
Kael closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded.
"Then let me promise something," he said.
They listened.
"I won't bind you with titles or expectations," Kael said. "But as long as I breathe—"
"I'll stand beside you."
Seraphina leaned closer until their foreheads touched.
"That's enough," she whispered.
Elowen wrapped her arms around him suddenly. "Group hug!"
"E-Elowen—!"
They all stumbled slightly, laughter breaking the tension.
Hat reappeared, floating upside down.
"Record this moment. The Master has officially fallen."
Kael groaned. "Hat!"
Watching Eyes
From a distant corridor, Prince August leaned against a pillar, watching quietly.
"…He really is hopeless," he muttered.
King Althemir stood beside him.
"But sincere," the king replied.
August smiled. "That's why they chose him."
A Night of Small Joys
Later, the three sat on a stone bench beneath the moon.
Elowen swung her legs idly. "So… Baron Kael."
Kael winced. "Please don't call me that."
She smirked. "Future husband?"
Kael nearly choked. "T-Too soon!"
Seraphina laughed softly. "She's teasing."
Elowen leaned in. "Only a little."
Kael covered his face. "I'm going to die before the next battle."
Hat nodded seriously.
"Emotionally fatal damage confirmed."
Quiet Thoughts
That night, Kael lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
His heart felt lighter than it had in years.
Hat floated down beside him.
"So," Hat said. "Regrets?"
Kael smiled.
"No."
Hat hummed approvingly. "Good. Because fate doesn't wait for hesitation."
Kael closed his eyes.
"I'll protect them," he whispered. "Not because I was chosen."
"But because I choose them."
Far beyond the castle walls, something ancient stirred.
The seal weakened.
The true hero had appeared.
And the world quietly shifted toward conflict.
But for this night—
Kael Valcrest slept peacefully.
With warmth in his chest.
And promises waiting for dawn.