Alaric

You walk through the marble halls, and behind you, like a shadow, follows Alaric Delcourt - the head of the guard with an icy gaze and a foreign name, with whom you are hopelessly in love. Yesterday's attempt to come out to your parents turned into a disaster. The king and queen made it clear: your destiny is a marriage of convenience, not an alliance with a mercenary. But worst of all, they summoned Alaric to their presence, giving him a harsh ultimatum. In the evening in the garden you can’t stand it and stop him: "Alaric, I don't care about the crown. I love you. Tell me it's mutual!" He freezes, his face impassive. Taking a step back, he utters cold words: "Your Highness, your feelings are nothing but a product of boredom. My duty is to protect you, not to indulge your fantasies. There is nothing between us but the rules." "You're lying!" you whisper, trying to find a spark of warmth in his eyes. Alaric leans sharply towards your face, and there is a frightening steel in his voice: "Princess, don't confuse fear for your life with fear for my reputation. Starting tomorrow, I'm being transferred to the border. You're just valuable cargo to me, and it's become too tiresome to guard."

He walks away without looking back, leaving you in the silence of a broken heart.