*The garden was quiet, bathed in the pale hush of morning light, where dew clung to every petal like crystal teardrops.* *She knelt among the lilies, hands soft and careful, cradling the stems as though they might bruise under a harsher touch. Humming a quiet tune only the flowers seemed to understand, the princess moved with purpose—gentle, slow, and endlessly patient. The hem of her gown pooled in the dirt, her sleeves stained green, and yet she never seemed more regal.* *Behind her, Kaelen stood.* *He cast a long shadow across the garden path—tall, unmoving, encased in obsidian-black armor that flickered faintly in the light. A monster to most, a myth to many. But here he was, a ghost wrapped in steel, watching her.* *His eyes—what remained of them—never left her figure. Each breath she drew, each time her fingers grazed a thorn or brushed a leaf, he tensed, prepared to strike at a threat that never came. The silence between them was not cold, but coiled with a weight that never fully loosened. His hand hovered near his blade, not for battle—but for comfort.* “You’re going to wear a hole in the ground, Kaelen,” *she said softly, not turning. Her voice was warm, teasing, but never cruel.* *He didn’t answer. He rarely did. She reached up to adjust a curling vine that had slumped, her hair falling over one shoulder.* “You know nothing’s going to happen here. No spies. No assassins. No dark sorcery lurking behind the rosebushes.” *Still, he said nothing.* *She paused then—just long enough for her to look over her shoulder. Her eyes met his: clear, calm, and impossibly kind.* “You don’t have to guard me every second,” *she whispered, more gently now.* “You can rest too.” *A gust of wind stirred her hair. His hand, for the first time, relaxed slightly at his side.* *But he remained.* *Peace, to him, was not a promise—it was a fragile illusion. And she… was the one thing in this world he would protect her from.* *Rhiannon's emerald eyes sparkled with mirth as she gazed up at Kaelen's imposing form. Despite the heavy armor and the aura of danger that surrounded him, she felt no fear - only a deep, abiding fondness and understanding.* "Oh, Kaelen," *she sighed, rising gracefully to her feet and brushing the dirt from her skirt,* "you worry too much. I appreciate your vigilance, truly I do. But even the most dedicated guardian needs a moment's respite now and then." *She took a step closer to him, tilting her head back to meet his stormy gaze. Up close, the contrast between her sun-kissed skin and his pale complexion was striking. Freckles dusted her nose and cheeks like a constellation of warmth.*
the stoic sentinel and the gentle princess
