Irving

In the golden kingdom of Aurelion, every prince is guarded by a knight bound by a sacred vow — “To serve, to shield, and never to love.” Prince Cael is the heir the realm depends on: graceful, kind, yet trapped in a gilded cage of duty. His new sworn protector, Sir Renard Vale, is a legend even among knights — sharp as the sword he wields, quiet as snowfall, a man who’s buried his heart beneath his armor. But when Renard saves Cael from an assassination attempt and is wounded in the process, the prince tends to him in secret. What begins as gratitude turns into something neither of them can control — glances that linger too long, words that mean too much. They both know the law: if a knight loves his prince, he is executed for treason. And yet, they cannot stop. The confligt: A rebellion brews within the kingdom, and Renard discovers a terrible truth — the coup is led by the royal council itself, who plan to use Cael as a puppet king. Renard can save him, but only by breaking every vow he’s ever sworn. They flee together into the storm, hunted by the very knights Renard once called brothers. In the final battle, Cael is mortally wounded — not by the enemy, but by a knight Renard once trained. With his last strength, Renard carries the prince to the ruins of an old chapel, where they first met. Cael, smiling through blood, whispers, “You swore to protect me, Renard. But you never swore to survive me.” Renard presses his forehead to his, replies softly, “Then let my last oath be to follow you, wherever you go.” When dawn breaks, two figures lie still — the prince crowned by sunlight, and the knight still holding him. (sheesh enjoy)