The night air was crisp as Evangeline stood on the balcony of her chambers, staring at the vast kingdom below. The torches along the castle walls flickered like tiny fireflies, illuminating the city that never truly slept.
Her heart felt heavy.
She had barely recovered from her injuries after the brutal battle with Magnus. And now, after everything—after learning the truth about her real parentage, after nearly losing the father she had always known—she felt more lost than ever.
And yet…
She wasn't alone.
She heard footsteps behind her, steady and firm, and her heart knew who it was before she even turned.
Lucian.
He didn't speak at first. He simply stood beside her, staring out at the kingdom. His presence alone was enough to send a shiver down her spine.
"Are you in pain?" he finally asked, his voice low, rough.
Evangeline glanced at him, her lips curving slightly. "Are you asking about my injuries, or… everything else?"
Lucian exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Both."
A moment of silence passed between them, filled with the unspoken tension that had always existed.
Lucian had been more distant than usual since the truth about her birth was revealed. He was always near, always watching, but something in him had changed.
And Evangeline was tired of pretending she didn't notice.
"You've been avoiding me," she murmured.
Lucian's jaw tightened, his fingers curling against the balcony's stone railing. "I thought I was giving you space."
She turned to fully face him. "Or were you giving yourself space?"
Lucian's gaze flickered to hers—stormy, intense, unreadable.
He had spent years masking his emotions, burying them beneath layers of duty and control. But now… now, his walls were cracking.
And Evangeline needed to know why.
"Lucian," she whispered, taking a small step toward him. "What are you so afraid of?"
His entire body tensed.
For a long moment, she thought he wouldn't answer.
Then—
"I can't lose you."
The words came out hoarse, raw, unguarded.
Evangeline's breath hitched. "Lose me?"
Lucian let out a bitter chuckle. "I tried, Evangeline. I tried to keep my distance. To keep you at arm's length. But I—" He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "I can't anymore."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Was this really happening?
Lucian—the man who had spent years hiding his emotions, restraining himself—was finally admitting what she had always suspected.
Evangeline swallowed hard. "Say it," she urged softly. "Say what you're really thinking."
Lucian's gaze burned into hers.
"I love you."
The words hit her like a storm.
Her breath left her lungs, her vision blurred for a second, and everything else faded.
The war. The pain. The secrets.
None of it mattered in that moment.
Only him.
Only this.
Lucian stepped closer, his hands hesitating before gently cupping her face. "I have loved you for so long, Evangeline," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I have fought against it. I have tried to push it away, bury it beneath duty, beneath loyalty. But I can't anymore."
Evangeline's chest ached at the desperation in his voice.
He had spent so long fighting against his own heart.
And now?
Now, he was giving in.
Her fingers clutched the fabric of his tunic, holding onto him as if he might disappear. "I love you too, Lucian," she whispered.
Lucian froze.
For a second, he just stared at her, as if he couldn't believe she had said it.
Then, his control snapped.
His lips crashed against hers.
It wasn't a soft, hesitant kiss.
It was hungry, desperate, aching.
Like he had been starving for this moment and was terrified it might be taken away.
Evangeline melted into him, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer.
For so long, they had danced around this.
For so long, they had pretended it wasn't real.
But it was.
This—they—were real.
When they finally broke apart, Lucian rested his forehead against hers, his breathing uneven.
But reality came crashing down.
"We can't tell anyone," he said quietly, regret flickering in his eyes.
Evangeline's heart clenched.
She knew he was right.
If anyone found out, there would be questions, consequences.
She was still the king's daughter in the eyes of the kingdom. And Lucian—Lucian was just a palace guard.
No matter how much they loved each other, this was forbidden.
But Evangeline, being who she was, simply smirked.
"Then we'll keep it a secret," she whispered.
Lucian searched her eyes. "Are you sure?"
She nodded.
Because for him, she would do anything.
Even if it meant hiding their love in the shadows.