Chapter 11
Ruland’s indulgence of Cecily had long become the talk of Crownspire hail astomshed, half
outraged
As her sworn protector Roland shadowed Eleanor through bustling markets and verdant fields, holding her toak against the spring breeze and fetching honeyed comfits from Westgate & finest confectioners at dawn, all because she once sighed for their taste. When her feet bustered from fong walks, he offered his arm for support, heedless of the townsfolk’s whispers, and eased her to
rest beneath an oak’s shade
But he was not merely her guard. He was Prince Roland Thorne, heir to a kingdom. When Cecily praised the delicate linens of the southern wealds, he quietly ensured a merchant sentire stock reached her chambers When she admired a reliquary of polished ivory, said to hold a saint’s relic,
he sent trusted envoys to scour the realm for its match. And if she spoke ill of a courtier, by dawn. that soul would find themselves discreetly summoned to a distant estate, far from Crownspire’s
halls.
Those close to the prince whispered the same thing.
“The mighty Roland has fallen–and he’s fallen hard for the second daughter of House Viremont
And they were not wrong.
That day, Cecily had pouted and begged to go flower-watching on the hills beyond Blossomvale Roland, ever obliging, agreed. What neither expected was an ambush
CRACK
Their carriage was struck with brutal force, flipping twice before crashing onto its side Roland’s back slammed into the wooden wall, a jagged splinter rearing through his tunic and deep into flesh Blood soaked the fabric, staining the crest of House Thorne
But his arms never moved from around Cecily. She was untouched.
“Roland!” she cried, pale as parchment, her trembling fingers brushing his bloodied cheek
You’re bleeding..
He tried to reassure her, but instead coughed a mouthful of blood
Her sobs followed him into the darkness as he slipped into unconsciousness
When he next awoke, it was to find her curled at his bedside, dozing lightly. At the faintest rustle
she flung herself at him with a cry of rebel “You frightened me to death How could you be so Coolish?”
Met arms pressed against his wound, making him grunt in pain–but he still reached up and gently patted her back “It’s nothing doesn’t hurt
Tears streamed down her face “The healer said that shard missed your heart by less than an inch!
one more, and you
“H was worth it,” he said softly “Protecting you always will be
“You’ve always been too good to me “Cecily’s voice shook “Even though you were my sister’s sworn guard, you still looked after me all these years
“I remember that time I had a fever You scoured the entire city in the middle of a storm just to find
me honey cakes.
The memory was vivid. He had searched for five hours in pouring rain. When he returned, soaked
and shivering, he placed the warin pastries in her hands
“And last year, on my birthday when someone mocked me at the banquet, you broke three ribs in
a duel defending me
Her eyes shummered “And that flower on Starfall Crag. That place is pertious, but you still
climbed it just to fetch it for me.
She looked up at him, radiant with expectation. “Roland… why? Why are you always so kind to me?”
“Because…” He opened his mouth. But the words ‘I love you’ lodged in his throat like thorns
It didn’t make sense. He had shielded her with his body, risked his life for a single blossom, even
carved her name into his own chest. Yet at this moment when all he needed to do was say it his
chest clenched painfully, and no words came.
So instead, he asked, “Are you free in three days?”
Cecily blinked “Why?”
“There’s something I need to tell you “He forced a smile
She was about to press further, but a maid rushed in, whispered something in her ear Het face changed
“Roland, I’m sorry Thave to go!” she blurred, darting out before he could answer
As the door swung shot, Roland’s smile faded
His gaze drifted to the bed’s canopy and a memory rose unbidden
Half a year ago. He had still been Eleatin’s sworn guard They were ou a diplomatic jom ney when an ambush caught them by surprise Ablade slashed deep across his shoulder as he stepped
between her and death
“Have von lost your bloody mind?!” Eleanor had shouted, voice cracking, eyes ritamed with red
She had cursed tum roundly as she pressed cloth to his wound, the fine silk of her gown drenched in his blood: She hadn’t cared For the next few days, the famously proud Lady Eleanor insisted on tending him herself though her gruel was half-burnt, and her fruit peuled down to the core
“You may serve me, yes.” she had whispered once, “but your life matters just as much as mine.”
That memory tugged at the comers of his lips
Then, as if srung, he stiffened.
What was he doing?
Eleanor was married now. She had gone to Westmarch. He had loved Cecily all along-hadn’t he?
Almost angrily, he summoned his shadowguard.
“My lord,” the masked warrior said warily, “I thought you forbade us from intervening. Even when
your life hung by a thread, you ordered us to stay hidden for Lady Cecily’s sake. And now you call
upon us?
Roland’s voice was firm “Prepare everything. I want to declare my feelings for Cecily to the world.”
What?”
“I’m done hiding. This time, I’ll say it clearly.”
The shadowguard’s jaw practically dropped. “You’re confessing Truly? No riddles? No quiet glances?
Roland nodded, then rattled off a long list of preparations
The guard shook his head in disbelief “A love confession this extravagant? Honestly, I don’t get i
What is it about Lady Cecily that you find se
The trailed off Roland didn’t answer immediately
His mind drifted back to a Spring Hunt, three years ago
He had first seen her then a slip of a girl in a white gown, s
a slip of a girl in a white gown, scrambling up a tree in rescue a fallen nest. The sunlight dappled through the leaves, casting her in golden hues. Her tace had been
ཏང་ཉནང་གཏྟཱང་ཅག་ན་མདུན་དང
hidden, but the image had stayed with him, like a painted dream
He had asked who she was
“Lady Viremont,” the servant bad said
And just like that, his heart had been stolen
To stay close to her, he had hidden his true title and sworn himself to her elder sister instead
“She’s kind,” he said aloud “Innocent
But as he listed her virtues, something in them felt… distant
Still, he waved the thought away. “Just make sure everything’s ready. This time, I will win her
heart’
With that, he dismissed the guard and sat, eyes fixed on the fading light, the question still
echoing in his mind, ‘Why does saying it feel so wrong?”
