Chapter 0 : A Promise in the Rose Garden
The Kingdom of Evarra had just celebrated a hard-won victory over the northern rebellion. The people cheered in the streets, but inside the palace walls, tension clung to the air like a shadow. Danger danced silently behind every guarded smile. Wiliam Riveras, the third son of a senior royal knight, stood in the courtyard of the training barracks, his sword stained with mud and blood. But his thoughts were far away—on a girl whose name he dared not speak aloud.
Princess Elise Avantra.
Wiliam first met Elise at the age of seventeen, when he served as a novice guard during a royal banquet. He had accidentally saved the princess from a carriage that nearly overturned during a violent storm. Since that night, her eyes had haunted his dreams. Yet, loving someone of royal blood was a mistake that could cost him his life.
Two years had passed since their first meeting. Their bond grew quietly in the shadows—through stolen glances in palace corridors, and secret letters slipped between the pages of ancient books in the royal library.
But now, everything had become more complicated. The king had begun arranging Elise's marriage to Prince Raynard of Merodia, a strategic alliance meant to seal peace after years of war. Elise said nothing. Wiliam grew restless. And on a somber moonlit night, they met once again in the rose garden—their hidden sanctuary of longing.
"Elise…" Wiliam's voice was barely a whisper.
"You're really going to marry him?"
Elise lowered her gaze, her fingers grasping the thorned petals of a rose.
"I'm a princess, Wiliam. I have no choice."
"But I choose you," Wiliam replied quickly, his voice aching with pain.
"And I swear upon my sword… I will find a way."
"It's too late," Elise's eyes trembled. "The Queen knows about us."
The sound of horses echoed in the distance. Torches at the palace gates flared brighter. Wiliam grabbed Elise's hand and pulled her behind a great tree.
"I'll take you away tonight," he said with reckless desperation.
"Elise Avantra is no ordinary girl. If I run… there will be war. Blood will be spilled."
Wiliam fell silent. His heart raged, but his mind knew—there was no place for a love like theirs in this world. And hidden behind the bushes, someone had heard everything—the betrayal that would alter fate itself.
The next morning, royal guards came for Wiliam. He was charged with treason and thrown into the dungeons beneath the palace, with no promise of release. From the tall windows of her chamber, Elise could only watch as storm clouds gathered, carrying away the one person who had made her feel free.
But this story is far from over.
In that cold, silent darkness, Wiliam made a vow:
If this love is forbidden by the crown, then let the crown fall in its name.
What will happen next? :
A. Will Elise defy her fate?
B. Will Wiliam escape and lead a rebellion?
C. Or will a new character rise to shatter everything?