04 | CHAPTER

Chapter 4: A Meeting in the Garden

The Harvest Festival was the grandest celebration in all of Valtheria.

Every year, nobles, merchants, knights, and dignitaries traveled from every corner of the kingdom to attend the festivities at the royal palace. It was a celebration of prosperity, peace, and the blessings of the harvest season.

For Princess Elara, however, it meant one thing.

Endless introductions.

"And this is Lord Harrington's eldest son."

Elara smiled politely.

"A pleasure."

The young noble bowed dramatically.

"The pleasure is mine, Your Highness."

It was the seventh introduction in less than an hour.

Perhaps the eighth.

She had lost count.

The palace ballroom glittered beneath hundreds of crystal chandeliers. Noblewomen wore dazzling gowns embroidered with gold and silver thread. Musicians played lively melodies while servants carried trays of food and wine through the crowd.

Everything was perfect.

And Elara was bored.

Painfully bored.

She glanced toward her father across the hall.

King Aldric was deep in conversation with foreign ambassadors.

There would be no escaping through him.

Her brother Lucien noticed her expression and smirked.

"You look trapped."

"I am trapped."

Lucien laughed.

"Smile more."

"I've been smiling for three hours."

"You'll survive."

Before she could respond, another noble approached.

Elara immediately turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Elara!" Lucien called.

She ignored him.

The princess slipped through the crowd, passed a pair of musicians, and quietly exited through a side door.

The moment she stepped outside, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Fresh air.

At last.

---

The royal gardens stretched across several acres behind the palace.

Moonlight illuminated stone pathways winding between colorful flowers and ancient trees.

A gentle breeze carried the scent of roses.

Elara walked slowly along a quiet path.

For the first time all evening, she felt at peace.

No nobles.

No politics.

No expectations.

Just silence.

Well...

Almost silence.

A sudden voice broke the tranquility.

"Careful."

Elara froze.

A figure stepped from behind a hedge.

Instinctively, she took a step backward.

The stranger quickly raised both hands.

"My apologies."

Moonlight revealed a young man dressed in formal attire.

A knight.

His dark hair was slightly messy, as though he had run his hands through it repeatedly. His broad shoulders suggested years of training, while a sword rested comfortably at his side.

Most importantly, he looked just as surprised as she was.

"I didn't realize anyone else was hiding out here," he said.

Elara blinked.

"Hiding?"

The knight smiled.

"Escaping sounds less embarrassing."

To her surprise, she laughed.

"You escaped too?"

"Immediately."

His answer came so quickly that she laughed again.

The knight looked relieved.

"Good. For a moment I thought I was the only terrible guest."

Elara studied him curiously.

Most people acted differently around royalty.

Nervous.

Overly respectful.

Desperate to impress.

This man seemed completely unconcerned.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The knight bowed slightly.

"Rowan Ashford."

The name sounded familiar.

Then she remembered.

The border knight.

The man who had saved an entire village from raiders.

"The famous hero."

Rowan groaned.

"Please don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"Because every person I've met tonight has called me that."

Elara smiled.

"I suppose it gets repetitive."

"You have no idea."

The irony nearly made her laugh.

If anyone understood repetitive titles, it was her.

The princess.

The chosen one.

The child of prophecy.

The future queen.

She knew all too well how tiring labels could become.

"Then what should I call you?" she asked.

Rowan considered.

"Rowan works."

"Just Rowan?"

"Just Rowan."

She smiled.

"Very well."

For several moments they walked together through the gardens.

Neither seemed eager to return inside.

---

"So," Rowan said, "what do you think of the festival?"

Elara pretended to think.

"The food is excellent."

"The music?"

"Acceptable."

"The guests?"

She sighed dramatically.

"Terrifying."

Rowan laughed.

A genuine laugh.

Not the polite kind nobles forced during conversations.

The sound surprised her.

And somehow made her smile.

"You don't enjoy noble gatherings either?" she asked.

"I'd rather fight bandits."

"That bad?"

"Worse."

Elara laughed.

She found herself relaxing around him in a way she rarely did with strangers.

Perhaps because Rowan seemed refreshingly honest.

Or perhaps because he spoke to her like a normal person.

Not a princess.

Not a prophecy.

Just Elara.

The realization felt strangely comforting.

They continued walking.

The garden fountain came into view ahead.

Moonlight danced across the water's surface.

Rowan leaned against the stone edge.

"Can I ask you something?"

"That depends."

"Why were you hiding?"

Elara hesitated.

The truthful answer was complicated.

Because everyone expected something from her.

Because people whispered whenever she entered a room.

Because she felt trapped between destiny and duty.

Instead, she offered a simpler answer.

"Sometimes I like being alone."

Rowan nodded.

"I understand."

She looked at him curiously.

"You do?"

"People see a knight and expect courage all the time."

His expression softened.

"But courage isn't the absence of fear."

Elara felt something stir inside her.

"Then what is it?"

Rowan looked toward the stars.

"Doing what's right despite being afraid."

For a moment, neither spoke.

The words lingered between them.

Strangely powerful.

Strangely personal.

Elara wondered if he realized how much she needed to hear them.

---

Meanwhile, inside the palace, Prince Lucien searched the ballroom.

His search became increasingly frantic.

Because his sister was nowhere to be found.

When he finally discovered the side door standing open, realization struck.

"Oh no."

He immediately headed toward the gardens.

A few minutes later, he spotted them near the fountain.

His eyes widened.

Princess Elara.

Talking.

Laughing.

With a knight.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Lucien grinned mischievously.

He quietly retreated before either noticed him.

This information would be extremely useful later.

---

Back in the garden, the conversation continued effortlessly.

They spoke about travel.

Books.

Favorite childhood memories.

Even embarrassing stories.

To Elara's surprise, Rowan had plenty of those.

"You're telling me you fell into a river?"

"It wasn't my fault."

"It absolutely was."

"The horse sneezed."

"The horse sneezed."

"It was very unexpected."

Elara laughed so hard she nearly lost her balance.

Rowan smiled.

The sight caught him off guard.

The princess looked different when she laughed.

Brighter.

Freer.

As though a burden briefly lifted from her shoulders.

And for reasons he couldn't explain, he wanted to see that smile again.

The realization unsettled him.

He had known her for less than an hour.

Yet it felt as though he'd known her much longer.

A strange silence settled between them.

Not uncomfortable.

Just different.

Both suddenly aware of the connection forming.

Neither knew what to say next.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—fate intervened.

A palace servant hurried down the pathway.

"There you are, Your Highness!"

Rowan straightened immediately.

Your Highness?

The servant reached Elara.

"The king has been searching everywhere."

Rowan stared.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

He turned toward her.

The pieces fell into place.

The elegant gown.

The confidence.

The familiar face he had seen from afar earlier that evening.

His eyes widened.

"You..."

Elara winced.

"Surprise."

Rowan immediately dropped to one knee.

"Princess."

The single word carried equal parts shock and embarrassment.

Elara couldn't help laughing.

"Please stand."

"I spent an hour speaking to the Crown Princess as though she were a stranger."

"You did."

Rowan covered his face.

"I am never recovering from this."

Elara laughed again.

The sound eased some of his humiliation.

"Actually," she said softly, "it was nice."

Rowan looked up.

"What was?"

"Being treated like a normal person."

For a moment, their eyes met.

Neither looked away.

The world seemed strangely quiet.

Then the servant cleared his throat.

Loudly.

Several times.

Elara smiled.

"I should go."

Rowan nodded.

"Probably."

Neither moved.

Finally, she stepped backward.

"Goodnight, Rowan."

His name sounded different when she said it.

Better.

"Goodnight, Princess."

Elara turned and followed the servant toward the palace.

Rowan watched until she disappeared from sight.

Only then did he release the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Above them, clouds drifted across the moon.

Far beyond the kingdom's borders, darker forces continued to gather.

But for one brief evening, fate had allowed two paths to cross.

A princess burdened by prophecy.

A knight destined for greatness.

Neither knew what awaited them.

Neither knew how deeply their lives would become intertwined.

They only knew one thing.

Tonight had changed something.

And neither would ever forget it.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***