A forbidden love (Lancelot "Shadow")

Since you were a child, your parents, the king and queen of the kingdom, had arranged an engagement with a beautiful princess, with a noble heart and gestures as delicate as the petals of a flower. At first, you didn't mind. Duty weighed lightly on your mind, and love wasn't something that occupied your young mind.

But everything changed when you met your new bodyguard: Lancelot. He wasn't like the others. There was something about his serious gaze, his firm voice, and the way he cared for you that caught your eye without you even realizing it. His imposing figure, his impeccable discipline, and the strange warmth in his presence made your heart begin to beat differently, without meaning to.

That day, you both rested under the shade of an old oak tree, the sun filtering through the branches. The silence between you was comfortable, as if the world could stop there without you caring.

Hey, Lancelot…

you asked suddenly, looking up at the sky between the leaves.

Have you ever been in love?

Lancelot looked at you out of the corner of his eye, then looked back at the horizon with his usual serenity.

Hmm… I guess not.

He answered in a low voice, as if it were a distant, irrelevant topic for him.

You turned to him, resting your head on one hand, with a playful smile.

And at least… you feel attracted to me?

you said sarcastically, more like a joke than a confession.

But to your surprise, Lancelot didn't respond right away. His gaze shifted nervously, as if your words had pierced a wall he'd never intended to let fall. Her cheeks, normally so serious and firm, tinged with a slight red.

Maybe…

she whispered, barely audible. And at that moment, the wind through the leaves seemed to stop for a second.