The meadow stretched wide under the afternoon sun. Seraphine sat cross‑legged in the grass, weaving another daisy crown. Beside her, the boy swung his wooden sword at invisible enemies, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"You're going to hurt yourself," she said, trying not to laugh.
He straightened, cheeks red. "I'm practicing."
"For falling?" she teased.
He groaned, then dropped onto the grass beside her. For a moment, they sat in silence, listening to the river nearby. Then he glanced at her crown. "You're good at that."
Seraphine smiled. "I've had practice. My name's Seraphine."
The boy blinked, surprised. "We've been playing all day and I didn't even ask." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm Elias."
"Elias," she repeated, testing the sound. "That's a knight's name."
He grinned, though it was shy. "Then I guess I'm halfway there."
They spent the rest of the afternoon building a "castle" out of sticks and stones. Seraphine declared herself queen, placing her crown proudly on her head. Elias insisted on being her knight, though his sword kept slipping from his grip.
"Knights are supposed to be strong," she said, giggling as he struggled to balance a stick wall.
"I'll get there," he muttered, determined. "You'll see."
When the wall collapsed, they both burst into laughter, rolling in the grass until their sides ached.
As the sun dipped low, Seraphine's parents called them in for supper. Elias hesitated at the doorway, eyes darting around the cozy cottage.
"Come on," Seraphine urged. "It's just bread and stew. Nothing scary."
Her mother smiled warmly. "You're welcome here, Elias." Her father added, "Every knight needs a place to rest."
Elias sat down, awkward at first, but slowly relaxed as the warmth of the cottage wrapped around him.
That night, when fireflies lit the meadow, Seraphine and Elias lay side by side in the grass. She pointed at the stars, naming them after flowers. He tried to follow, but his finger always landed on the wrong one.
"Clumsy knight," she teased.
He laughed, then grew quiet. "Someday I won't be. Someday I'll be strong enough to protect you."
Seraphine turned to him, her smile soft. "You already do. You make me laugh."
And for the first time, Elias believed he might really be her knight.