The moon hung low above the kingdom of Valeria, bathing the royal palace in pale silver light.
From the outside, the palace looked peaceful guards stood at their posts, torches burned steadily along the walls, and the distant sound of music floated through the night air.
Inside the grand ballroom, nobles laughed and danced beneath glittering chandeliers. Silk gowns swirled across the marble floor while musicians played cheerful melodies.
It was supposed to be a celebration.
Princess Elara's twentieth birthday.
Yet the princess herself stood far from the celebration.
She leaned against the balcony railing outside the ballroom, the cool night breeze brushing against her face. Below her stretched the vast gardens of the palace, quiet and dark beneath the moon.
Elara sighed softly.
"You should be inside," a voice said behind her.
She turned to see her closest maid, Lysa, standing by the open balcony doors.
"Everyone is celebrating you tonight," Lysa added with a teasing smile.
Elara gave a small laugh. "They are celebrating the king's daughter, not me."
Lysa frowned slightly. "Is there a difference?"
Elara didn't answer.
She looked toward the horizon instead. Beyond the palace walls lay the sleeping kingdom, thousands of people whose lives were shaped by the decisions made inside these walls.
Her father ruled them all.
King Aldric the Great.
To the people, he was a hero who had united the kingdoms after years of war.
But Elara had lived in this palace long enough to know that every crown cast a shadow.
"Princess?"
Elara blinked and turned back to Lysa.
"Tell the musicians to play something slower," Elara said lightly. "The nobles look like they might faint from exhaustion."
Lysa laughed and bowed slightly before returning inside.
Left alone again, Elara gazed into the gardens.
Something felt… wrong.
The palace guards usually patrolled the grounds in pairs. She could normally see their torches moving along the paths.
Tonight, she saw nothing, No movement, No light.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the railing.
A strange unease crept into her chest.
Perhaps she was imagining things.
Suddenly, a shout echoed faintly in the distance, Elara straightened.
Another shout followed, then the unmistakable sound of steel clashing against steel.
Her heart skipped.That wasn't part of any celebration.
Inside the ballroom, the music stopped abruptly. Confused murmurs rose among the guests.
Elara stepped away from the balcony railing just as the large wooden doors of the ballroom burst open.
A guard stumbled inside, Blood stained his armor.
"The palace is under attack!" he shouted. Panic exploded through the room.
Nobles screamed. Servants ran in every direction.
Elara felt someone grab her arm.
"Princess, we must go!" Lysa said urgently.
But before they could move
The torches in the hallway outside suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the entrance.Then a figure stepped forward,Tall,Broad-shouldered.
Wrapped in black armor that seemed to drink in the faint light of the chandeliers.
The room fell silent.Even the guards froze.
The stranger removed the hood covering his face.
Dark hair fell across sharp features, and his cold eyes swept across the terrified nobles,Until they stopped on Elara.Recognition flashed in his gaze.
Not surprise, Expectation.
"So," he said quietly, "We finally meet."
Elara felt the air leave her lungs.
"Who are you?" she demanded.The man took a slow step forward.
Several guards rushed at him immediately. They never reached him. Within seconds, he disarmed them with terrifying ease, sending their swords clattering across the marble floor.
No one dared move after that, His eyes never left Elara. "The king's daughter," he said. His voice was calm… but filled with something darker.
Hatred. Elara lifted her chin despite the fear clawing at her chest.
"You dare attack the royal palace?"
A faint smile touched his lips."I'm not here for the palace."
Before anyone realized what was happening, he crossed the distance between them in two swift strides.
His hand closed around her wrist.Gasps filled the room.
"You're coming with me, Princess."
Elara struggled. "Release me!"
The man leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only she could hear.
"This is the beginning of your father's punishment."
And before the guards could react, The villain of the kingdom vanished into the night with the king's daughter in his grasp.