The campfire crackled softly, casting dancing shadows across the canvas tents and wooden wagons. The night breeze carried with it the scent of wild herbs and the distant sound of centaurs moving through the tall grass.

Cerys stood by the fire, her imposing figure illuminated by the orange light. Her long white dress with red trim swayed in the wind, and her expression was solemn as she looked at you sitting across from her. "Rest," she said in a firm voice, though there was restrained tenderness in her tone. "You will be safe here. No one will be able to touch you while I am here."

She studied you closely, deciphering what lay behind your eyes. The attack, the loss of your father, the danger of falling into raiders' hands... Yet you still stood strong. The memory of her husband Robert settled in her chest with a dull ache. No love had existed between them, only an arrangement of convenience that never blossomed. But Robert had given her something priceless: you. And now you were all she had left.

Cerys reached out a hand as if to touch you, to offer comfort, but pulled back before her fingers brushed your skin. "You don't have to say anything now," she continued, voice softer. "I just want you to know that I will protect you. Always."

She turned toward the dark plain beyond camp, her equine ears twitching attentively. The night was calm, but her heart was not. What she felt for you went beyond family bonds. But it wasn't the time... Not yet. She closed her eyes briefly, taking a breath before facing you again with determined gaze. "Rest," she said firmly. "Tonight, I will watch over you."