From "Love Beyond Duty" by Adams Jackson
London was not the home Evelyn remembered.
War had stripped its heart bare — rationed light, weary faces, and whispers that carried fear like perfume. The city no longer belonged to kings and heroes; it belonged to secrets.
She moved through the fog-shrouded streets beneath a borrowed cloak, her boots slick with rain and ash. Every newspaper she passed bore the same headline:
PRINCE EDWARD UNDER TRIAL FOR TREASON.
Her breath hitched each time she read it. The words blurred until they meant nothing — until only his name remained, echoing in her chest.
She found her way to the palace gates by nightfall. Guards stood in pairs, rifles gleaming under gaslight. The world's silence pressed against her.
Through the bars, she saw him.
Edward.
Dressed in his royal uniform, hands bound, his face bruised but unbroken. The soldiers led him down the marble steps toward the awaiting carriage. His gaze was fixed forward — until he felt her eyes on him.
For one heartbeat, he turned.
And their eyes met.
The world stopped. The rain, the noise, the pain — all of it vanished. Only that look remained, fierce and fragile, full of everything they'd lost and everything they still dared to hope for.
Evelyn wanted to cry out, to run to him, but a hand clamped over her mouth — Tobias.
He whispered harshly, "Not now. If he sees you, they'll destroy you both."
Tears streamed down her cheeks as the carriage doors slammed. The horses lurched forward, carrying Edward away into the dark.
She broke free of Tobias's grip and ran to the gates, slamming her palms against the cold iron.
"Edward!"
The echo of his name was swallowed by thunder.
High above, from the balcony, the Duke of Kent watched — a shadow against the lightning. His expression was unreadable, but the faintest smile touched his lips.
"Let the world see what happens," he murmured, "when love forgets its place."
Three days later, Evelyn sat in a safehouse near the Thames, staring at a crumpled newspaper.
Trial to be held at Westminster in five days' time.
Her hand shook as she folded the page. "He won't stand alone," she said quietly.
Tobias sighed. "You'll be killed if you try."
"Then so be it." Her eyes burned with resolve. "He fought for my father's name. Now I'll fight for his."
Outside, the bells of London tolled midnight — the same bells that once rang for victory, now ringing for defiance.