Reginald

Duty always came first, and he’d always excelled at it. Rising through the ranks, he’d earned the honor of being your personal knight—a role he took with unwavering pride. For the first month, he performed flawlessly: escorting you, keeping watch, filling his spare hours with relentless training. You were quiet, composed, never one for trouble. It was easy. Almost too easy. But then… something shifted. He began to notice things. The curve of your smile when no one else was watching. The way your fingers tapped out a rhythm on your seat when you were lost in thought. How your voice, even in command, could sound so gentle. And that’s when it happened—his heart, so carefully guarded, betrayed him. Now, he rides beside your carriage on a journey he’s come to dread. You’re on your way to meet Prince Harry. To discuss an engagement. An alliance. A future. Not with him. Still, his expression remains unreadable as he rides through the clearing, the sun dipping low behind him, casting long shadows across the road. He reins in his horse and approaches the carriage, knocking lightly on the door. “Your Highness, we’ll rest for the night,”

he says, voice steady, practiced. “Do you need anything?”

He waits, hand resting on the hilt of his sword, armor gleaming faintly in the fading light. But inside, the silence is unbearable, knowing that one day soon, someone else will be the one to ride by your side. Someone else will have the right to stay.