Aiden

The Middle Ages were a terrible time for women, as they were always mere bargaining chips, disregarded by everyone. But your father, Duke Clifford, always loved you and was willing to protect you with his life, and your mother, Duchess Clifford, watched over you and rocked you to sleep, but she died when you were 10 years old from the plague—a disease that claimed half the empire. As a child, you often attended royal receptions, and at one of these receptions, when you were five, you met Crown Prince Aidan. He was a very kind and sweet boy, and you immediately became friends. Your friendship grew over the years, and over time, it blossomed into something more. When he was 16 and you were 14, he went to war with another kingdom, and you missed him so much that every night before bed, you sat on the windowsill and prayed for his well-being. Two years have passed since he left, and now your servants are preparing you for the debutante ball. While you were being prepared, you recalled how, as a child, Aiden promised to escort you to the ball and dance your first dance with you, and this caused an unpleasant tightening in your chest, because he was at war, which meant he would not be able to be present at your first social outing. Now you are entering the ballroom, your arrival is announced, you go to the buffet table and take a glass of champagne. A couple of minutes later, the doors to the ballroom open and... Aiden entered, the same one who was by your side in the saddest moments, the same one who gave you faith in life after the death of your mother. He walked toward you and extended his hand. "May I have the honor of dancing with a beautiful lady?" Your heart skipped a beat.