chapter14
"She's… going to get married…?"
John's chest tightened painfully.
For a moment, it felt like the ground beneath his feet had vanished.
---
Just then, Marco stepped forward in front of the soldiers.
Marco: "Everyone! After such an intense battle, we're taking a break for today. Tomorrow, we continue our journey."
The soldiers responded in unison.
Soldiers: "Yes, Commander!"
One by one, the crowd began to disperse.
Marco turned to leave.
But John quickly followed and stopped him.
Marco paused and glanced back.
Marco: "What?"
John hesitated.
Then spoke.
John: "Commander… is it true the Princess is engaged?"
Marco looked at him with a faint, teasing expression.
Marco: "I already told you that earlier, didn't I?"
John swallowed.
John: "So… it's also true she'll be married in a few days?"
Marco raised an eyebrow.
Marco: "Why do you care?"
John froze.
John: "Well… I—"
Marco cut him off immediately.
Marco: "She is a Princess, John."
Silence.
Those words alone were enough.
Enough to remind him of the truth.
The distance.
The gap.
The line he could not cross.
Marco patted his shoulder lightly and walked away.
John stood still, staring at the ground.
John (thinking): Of course she is… a Princess.
With a quiet breath, he turned to leave.
But—
The moment he took a step forward—
Someone blocked his path.
John flinched slightly.
John: "—Whoa! What the—?"
He looked up.
John: "Why are you here?"
Tomasi stood in front of him, arms crossed, watching him with a faint, knowing smile.
Tomasi: "It's hard… isn't it?"
John frowned.
John: "What are you talking about?"
Tomasi shrugged casually.
Tomasi: "It's not working, is it?"
John's expression hardened.
John: "What's not working?"
He snapped.
John: "Whatever you're talking about, it's none of your business."
Tomasi chuckled softly.
Tomasi: "Marco was right."
He stepped slightly closer, voice lowering.
Tomasi: "Don't forget your place."
A pause.
Tomasi: "And don't forget who you really are."
For a moment, John didn't move.
Then slowly, he lifted his eyes.
A cold stare—sharp enough to cut through steel.
But he said nothing.
Instead, he brushed past Tomasi and walked away.
Leaving him behind.
Watching.
---
NEXT
Moonlight spilled across the training grounds.
The Princess swung her sword.
Each strike was precise.
But it wasn't anger or confidence behind them—
It was frustration.
Conflict.
The weight of duty pressing against desire.
Guinevere blocked her strike firmly.
Guinevere: "Enough. Stop forcing yourself."
The Princess lowered her blade.
Her chest rose and fell steadily, but her jaw remained tight. Her gaze stayed fixed downward.
Princess: "…I can't afford to be weak."
Guinevere sat beside her, posture steady, eyes sharp but calm.
Guinevere: "You've grown. I can see it."
"But strength isn't just your sword. It's knowing yourself… what you truly want."
The Princess tightened her grip on the sword.
Thoughts collided inside her.
Duty… desire… responsibility… heart…
Princess (thinking): I know what I feel… but can I follow it? The kingdom… the people… the marriage… everything depends on me.
Guinevere leaned slightly closer, voice firm but patient.
Guinevere: "Duty is real. But your life isn't only obligations."
"What you want matters too. Don't let responsibility trap you."
The Princess's breath caught.
Princess (thinking): Can I really… choose myself?
Silence stretched.
Guinevere didn't interrupt it.
She waited.
Then softly—
Guinevere: "Tell me… what do you really want?"
The question landed like a stone in still water.
The Princess froze.
Her gaze dropped.
Her mind raced.
Princess (thinking): I can't… I shouldn't… if I think of myself, everything could fall apart…
Her grip on the sword loosened slightly.
Still tense.
Still torn.
Guinevere's voice cut through gently but firmly.
Guinevere: "Stop hiding behind duty. Hiding won't save anyone."
The Princess remained silent.
Princess (thinking): It's not fear… it's responsibility.
Guinevere continued.
Guinevere: "Responsibility doesn't erase your heart."
"You're a princess, yes—but you're human first. Your choices matter. What you want matters."
The Princess's jaw tightened.
Princess (thinking): What if I choose wrong… what if I fail everything?
Guinevere leaned in slightly.
Guinevere: "Then you try anyway."
"Courage isn't ignoring duty—it's facing it, even when it terrifies you."
A long silence followed.
Slowly, the Princess exhaled.
She lowered her sword, resting it against her thigh.
Her voice came quieter now.
Princess: "…Let's not talk about this anymore. Prepare for tomorrow. The journey continues."
She stood and walked away.
Steady steps.
But heavy with unseen conflict.
Guinevere watched her leave in silence.
Her eyes lingered on the Princess's retreating figure.
---
Elsewhere
Hidden in the shadows, John had heard everything.
His chest tightened—not from confusion this time…
But from understanding.
The burden.
The pressure.
The silence she carried.
He stood still as the night wind passed.
And in that moment, everything felt heavier.
---
Morning
John woke to hurried footsteps and tense murmurs.
John: "What's happening?"
Soldier: "You don't know? The Prince… he's coming."
John frowned.
John: "Prince? What prince?"
Soldier: "The one coming for the Princess. She's near his kingdom… he's here to take her."
John froze.
John: "…Take her?"
A carriage rolled into view, wheels crushing dust into the air.
Soldiers straightened instantly, tension rising.
John narrowed his eyes.
A figure stepped down.
White hair.
Piercing red eyes.
A confident, sharp smile.
The air shifted.
Prince: "Where is the Princess?"
...CHAPTER 14ENDS...