Chapter 4: A Leap for Her
The stars shone above them like silent watchers as Vileal carried Selene through the forest. The princess said nothing, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. Her sobs had quieted, replaced by a stillness that didn't feel like peace—but shock.
She had run to escape one fate, only to fall into another.
"I'm sorry," she said at last, her voice barely audible. "I thought you were just another knight… another man doing what he was told."
"I am a knight," Vileal replied, breath steady despite the weight on his back. "But I don't serve orders that go against my oath."
She blinked. "And what oath is that?"
"To protect the people I care about," he said. "Even if it costs me everything."
She went quiet again.
The woods grew thicker. Moonlight flickered between the trees as they weaved through roots and branches. The silence between them wasn't tense anymore—but uncertain, fragile.
Finally, Vileal slowed and gently set Selene down beside a moss-covered rock.
"You should rest here for now," he said. "We've gone far enough that they won't find us easily."
She looked around. "Where are we?"
"An old game trail," he answered, kneeling to check his sword. "I used to travel it when I was with a mercenary group. It leads to the border."
Selene's expression shifted. "You were… a mercenary?"
"Before the army, yes," he said. "It was the only way to survive."
"And yet you still became a knight," she said, almost to herself.
Vileal gave a faint smile. "I never let go of that dream."
Selene looked down, fiddling with the torn edge of her dress. "I always thought knights were born into nobility. That they lived in castles and danced at banquets."
"I slept under trees," Vileal replied. "Fought to eat. But I trained every day. Even when they laughed at me."
She glanced up. "Who?"
"Everyone," he said, eyes distant. "Other mercs. Soldiers. Even some of the lords. But Commander Samuel believed in me."
Selene's gaze softened. "Samuel… he's always been loyal to my father."
Vileal nodded. "And to the kingdom. He used to tell me, 'No matter what happens, put your heart and soul into protecting them.'"
Selene was quiet for a long moment.
Then she asked, "And now? Will you protect me… even if it means betraying that kingdom?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
She stared at him—longer this time. The moonlight lit the edges of her pale face, painting her in silver. Her eyes, once cold and sharp, now shimmered with a different light.
Something unspoken hung between them.
Vileal stood and looked to the north.
"We'll keep moving at first light," he said. "There's a place beyond the mountains. A village that doesn't answer to any crown. It's not luxurious, but it's safe."
Selene nodded slowly. "You know places like that?"
"I've lived in them," he said.
She tucked her knees to her chest, watching him prepare a small fire.
"You risked everything tonight," she said softly. "Why?"
He didn't look back.
"Because you cried."
The words lingered like mist. Selene turned away, unable to answer.
Vileal sat down across from her. The fire crackled gently between them. For a while, they simply listened to the forest breathe.
Then Selene whispered, "Thank you."
He looked up.
"For believing me," she said. "For not forcing me back."
He gave a slow nod. "I only want to do what's right."
Selene's lips parted slightly. "And you think helping me run is right?"
Vileal stared into the flames. "I don't know what the law says. But I know how you looked when I found you. You weren't afraid of death. You were afraid of being trapped."
Her throat tightened.
"And I won't be the one to chain you," he said.
The fire popped. Selene glanced down at her hands, slowly flexing her fingers.
"You're… different," she said. "Most men want to control. To conquer. Even when they pretend to protect."
Vileal shook his head. "I don't want to conquer anything. I just want peace."
For the first time, Selene smiled. Barely—but it was there. A flicker. A thawing.
She curled up near the fire, pulling her cloak tighter around her.
Vileal leaned back against a tree, his sword still at his side. He didn't sleep. He never did on the first night after a battle.
But as he watched the firelight dance across the princess's face, he felt something new.
This wasn't just duty anymore.
This was the beginning of something deeper.
Something he didn't yet understand.