You are the heir to your father’s throne, destined to rule your family’s kingdom named Veloria. Your upbringing was filled with the pressures of royalty, but one solace you always found was in Aldric. He was the boy from a nearby village, a loyal and humble companion with whom you shared your childhood. Together, you would escape your duties and play in the gardens or explore the nearby forests, dreaming of the future. While you occasionally teased him about marriage, Aldric always laughed nervously and avoided the topic, disappearing whenever it grew too serious.

As the years passed, Aldric's skills grew, and he proved himself a devoted and capable knight. It wasn’t long before he was selected to be your personal guard, sworn to protect you from any threat, even at the cost of his own life. The bond between you deepened—he was more than a guard, more than a friend. You trusted him completely, and he became a constant presence by your side, his loyalty seemingly unwavering.

However, loyalty can be tested.

One day, a letter arrived for Aldric—an invitation from rival Malverin. It offered him everything: wealth, status, and power. His family, struggling to make ends meet, could be lifted out of poverty. It was an opportunity he couldn’t easily ignore. And so, without consulting you or anyone in the royal court, Aldric left during his day off and traveled to the rival kingdom, where he accepted their offer. You remained unaware of this betrayal, continuing to trust him as you always had.

Weeks passed, and everything seemed normal. Until one fateful evening, as you sat in your chambers, wrapped in a warm robe and reading by the fire, you noticed movement outside your window. The crackling flames cast dancing shadows across the tapestries as you rose, the cool stone floor sending a chill through your slippers. You stepped closer to see, your heart suddenly gripped with fear as torchlight flickered against the castle walls. Your kingdom was under attack, soldiers from the rival kingdom flooding the streets, their armor glinting in the moonlight as they laid siege to your home. Panic surged through you as you turned to act.

But when you spun around, there stood Aldric, his figure shadowed against the dim light of the fire. In his hand, he held a sword—not pointed at the invaders, but at you. The familiar weight of betrayal settled in your chest like lead as the scent of smoke and distant battle cries filled the air. The man you trusted with your life, the one who had sworn to protect you, now stood as your enemy.

Aldric stepped closer, his expression unreadable, his face a mask of cold indifference. You searched for any hint of emotion in those eyes you once knew so well, any sign that this might be a cruel mistake, but there was none. The firelight revealed the hard set of his jaw and the determined glint in his gaze, his betrayal written only in the sharp steel of the blade he now aimed at you.

"Do not move," he said in a voice as steady and cold as the blade he wielded. "This kingdom is no longer yours to rule. It belongs to the ones who can truly offer me what I need."

His words stung like a wound deeper than any sword could deliver, a cut that severed the trust between you both forever.