"Thank you for being there with me, Claudia. Father would have never agreed to meet Adonis if you hadn't spoken up for him. I really mean it."
Claudia shrugged lightly, her long hair tied into a neat ponytail, her silver armor reflecting the soft palace light.
"It's my duty, Princess. I have watched both of you grow up closely. How could I stand by and see you two get torn apart?"
Mariana smiled gently, her eyes soft with gratitude.
She didn't notice the fleeting hesitation in Claudia's gaze.
A quiet, forbidden thought lingered in the knight's heart.
Something she would never dare to voice.
She had stood by Mariana for years. Watched her grow. Protected her. Understood her more than anyone else.
And now…There was someone else.
Someone Mariana looked at with a warmth she had never shown before.
Claudia exhaled softly.
That path…Was not one she could cross.
Not yet.
So instead, she chose a different role.
To stand beside them.
To protect them.
