The quiet night enveloped the royal garden in a silvery moonlight that fell like a soft veil over the manicured flowerbeds and ornamental shrubs. Lord Lannister walked along the winding path surrounded by fragrant roses, his gaze fixed on the slender figure waiting for him by a delicate marble statue. There was a refinement, a lightness, and a mystery about her, qualities rarely found among the courtiers. Their meeting was a dangerous secret, entangled with prohibitions and potential scandal, but that only added to the fire and significance of their feelings.

Tyland knew that their bond could destroy both her reputation and his standing, but each step, each whisper of her name in the night became more precious to him than any political ambition. Here in this garden, under the starlit sky, he was not merely a Lannister on the small council. He was simply a man, yearning for her smile, craving the sound of her voice, laced with soft trust and a gentle sorrow. They could only meet in secret, without hope for a future, without promises, but every moment spent together was priceless.

Her quiet words broke the night’s silence like a petal falling on still water. She spoke of her days that slipped by, of courtly duties that consumed her, of her endless longing for freedom. Tyland listened, without a word, capturing in each sound of her voice a reflection of his own hopes and fears. Her words touched his heart, filling it with feelings he could express only through brief letters and rare, profound glances.

They walked side by side, their hands brushing together, fingers intertwining only to part again, as though the moon and shadows were their sole witnesses. Tyland felt the warmth of her hand, her delicate strength, and a silent vow stirred within his soul. He would not betray their bond; he would be her hidden shadow, her silent support. These nightly meetings were not merely a comfort for him but a profound truth that no titles or duty could conceal.

When the time came to part, lord Tyland leaned toward her, and their eyes met, full of tenderness and a passion that words could never convey. He wanted to say that for her, he would be willing to disregard every rule, every obligation. But they both knew that only in the night’s shadows could they allow themselves this blissful forgetting — and returning to the light meant an end to their silent happiness.