The late afternoon sun spilled golden light across the marble steps of Ardent Palace as Princess Kathline hurried through the entrance hall. Soft slippers tapped lightly on the polished floor, echoing between towering pillars carved with ancient royal symbols. She had finished her classes early and expected the hall to be quiet, but instead, she found her father, King Lois, gathered with Victor and several guards. Their voices dropped quickly when she stepped inside.
Kathline stopped, her brows rising.
"Father? What matter are all of you discussing? Your faces look. serious."
Lois tensed up. His fingers curled slightly over the edge of the council table. In this moment, he looked not like a king at all but like a concerned father, unsure what truth his daughter might have overheard.
Did she hear anything about the alphas? The thought stabbed through his mind like a blade.
Lois gave Victor a tense glance, and he stepped forward, his head slightly bowed towards the princess.
"We were only discussing work, Your Highness," Victor said smoothly. "Nothing you need to trouble yourself with."
Lois cleared his throat and forced a gentle smile.
"Yes, daughter. Go and rest in your room. I'll send some food in for you soon."
Kathline cocked her head to one side, studying him for the span of a heartbeat. She felt a tug of something hidden… but equally knew her father well enough not to push him now.
"As you wish, Father." She bowed her head politely and turned to leave the council hall, her long dark hair swaying behind her.
The moment she vanished through the doorway, Lois let out a sigh of relief, tension breaking from his shoulders. Whatever danger stirred beyond the palace walls… he would not let it touch her.
---
Evening settled softly over Ardent City. Lamps within the palace glowed warm as fireflies; a breeze slipped through open windows, carrying the scent of blooming nightflowers.
With deliberation in every step, Kathline approached her father's chamber and knocked lightly.
"Father? May I talk to you?"
Lois looked up from a parchment scroll, surprised. "Kathline? Come in."
She stepped inside, clasping her hands behind her as if gathering her courage. "I have a request," she said softly.
Lois's eyebrows rose. "That tone tells me I might not like this request."
Kathline smiled shyly. "Tomorrow… may I visit the village? Just for a short while. I want to see my friends and… play a little. It has been so long."
Lois's face instinctively tightened. His first response rose sharply in his chest—No. It's dangerous. You are the princess.
But then another memory came, softer but heavy with guilt: the last time he had refused her harshly, she had cried alone in her room.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Kathline… I told you not to wander off alone.
"I won't," she promised at once. "I'll take guards. I only want a few hours."
Lois looked at her-the last piece of his late queen, the only spark of joy in the palace. She was seventeen now, nearly grown. He couldn't lock her away forever.
"Fine," he said finally. "You may go. But you stay within the village square, and you return before sunset. Understand?"
Her eyes shone as bright as the stars. "I promise! Gracias, Papi!" She flung herself forward into a quick hug and then darted out of the room, still beaming at her father.
Lois watched her go, the uneasy weight returning to his chest. Let tomorrow be quiet, he hoped silently. For her sake.
---
With a mission burning in his chest, Stefan snuck into his cousin Ruchi's room in the quiet part of the village. Ruchi sat on the bed braiding her hair, but the moment she saw him reaching for her wardrobe, her eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing, Stefan?" she demanded.
"Borrowing something," he replied, not even looking at her.
"Borrowing what?" She jumped up. "Stefan—don't you dare—"
Too late, he already had her red dress with the black-mixed hem in his hands, the one she treasured more than any other.
"No!" Ruchi snatched for it. "Not that one! It's my favorite! I won't let you take it!"
But Stefan merely stepped back, hugging the dress protectively to his chest. His heart beat wildly—half excitement, half stubborn determination.
"I need it," he said firmly.
"Why?!" Ruchi's voice cracked with outrage.
"For Kathline."
Ruchi froze. Anger sputtered into shock. "You… you're stealing my dress for the princess?! Stefan—have you lost your mind?!"
But Stefan didn't wait to argue.
"Thanks, cuz!" he yelled, already running out the door as she chased after him.
"STEFAN!" Ruchi's angry scream reverberated through the forest, but he didn't turn back.
Outside, he held the dress against fading light. Red as sunset, black as midnight. In his mind, he pictured Kathline's smile aglow beneath the soft fabric, imagined how she would spin in it, radiant and free.
A warmth spread through him.
"She'll look beautiful," he whispered.
With that in mind, he ran up towards the edge of the forest and yelled loudly, "Tyler! Come out!"
A moment later, Tyler emerged from behind a tree, wiping dirt from his hands. "Why are you yelling outside my house? What's going on?"
Stefan raised the dress like a trophy. "I brought something for Kathline."
Tyler's relaxed expression vanished, replaced with a jolt of interest. "Show me."
Stefan unfolded the dress carefully. Tyler's eyes widened instantly.
"Whoa…Stefan…this is—this is amazing. She'll look like—like a red fairy."
Stefan grinned. "I know."
Tyler stepped closer, his fingers touching the edge of the black-mixed hem. "You really stole it from Ruchi, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"You're insane."
"Maybe."
They laughed over it, but beneath the mirth, an undercurrent of a shared truth neither dared speak out loud: both loved the same girl; both knew it of the other, yet neither wanted to lose the friendship that had meant everything since childhood.
"So… about tomorrow," Tyler said, clearing his throat. "The village fair—what's the plan?"
"We'll buy her sweets," Stefan said at once. "And painted lanterns. She likes those."
"And what about the river game? She always beats you," said Tyler teasingly.
"I'll win tomorrow," Stefan said. "You'll see."
Tyler smirked, saying, "In your dreams." They continued to talk about games, festival food, and what Kathline might like, their voices bright with teenaged enthusiasm. Above them, the trees stirred in the wind that carried a warning neither boy could hear. No, in this country, it is unacceptable to wear Western clothing. Sitting by her window, brushing her hair as moonlight spilled across her room, Kathline was excited. Tomorrow she would leave the palace walls for the first time in what felt like an eternity-even though it was only for a few hours. But to evade her father's watchful eyes… that would be another challenge altogether. Lois had given permission—yes—but he would always change plans if danger was near. She whispered to the night, "Please… let nothing stop me tomorrow." She didn't know that in the village, there were two boys dreaming of her. Nor did she know that destiny was quietly working its way toward all three of them… like a spark waiting to ignite the world. But