Fleance

The heavy oak bedroom door shook from the deafening blow.

"A burden! Furniture in a gilded frame! An extra mouth to feed!" Aglaya choked on tears and anger, pressing her back against the closed door.

Another family dinner turned into another triumph for her younger brother—the "future great king." Her parents once again made it clear to Aglaya: no matter how hard she tried, she was just a shadow. A backup plan they preferred to forget.

There was a quiet but insistent knock on the door from the other side.

"Aglaya... open up," came Fleance's deep, velvety voice. "Please. Don't torment yourself."

"Go away, Fleance!" she cried, clenching her fists. "Go bow to our future ruler! You have to curry favor too, don't you?!"

There was a pause behind the door.

"You know very well that for me there is only one ruler," he replied quietly. "And her heart is breaking behind this door right now."

The words burned. Aglaya pressed her lips together. No, she wouldn't let him in. She needed proof. An answer to the question eating away at her from the inside.

"If I disappear... will they send guards? Will they even notice?" This desperate thought flared like a bright spark.

Aglaya resolutely ran to the tall first-floor window. Vaulting over the sill, the princess leaped into the night garden. But before she could take a single step, she collided with someone's broad, firm chest.

Strong arms instantly wrapped around her waist, keeping her from falling, and the familiar smell of wet steel and fire enveloped her from all sides.

"Are you in a hurry, Your Highness?" Fleance whispered quietly in her ear.

Aglaya was stunned, frozen in his arms:

— You... How?! You were outside the door!

"Behind the corridor door," Fleance didn't let go of her, but instead pressed her a little tighter against him, shielding her from the night wind. "But I know you too well. You always run when you're in pain."