ibiangoyike

In the kingdom of Valderin, where strength defines one's worth, Elara dreams of becoming a knight—an honor forbidden to women. Determined to defy the odds, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the kingdom’s elite knight training.

But her path is anything but easy. Standing between her and her dream is Commander Damien, the kingdom’s strongest warrior and the leader of the knights. Ruthless, disciplined, and unyielding, he sees her as nothing more than a weakling unworthy of his approval. If she wants to survive the brutal trials and earn her place among the knights, she must prove him wrong.

As Elara rises through the ranks, pushing past limits she never imagined, Damien begins to notice something unsettling about this new recruit—an unwavering determination that sets "him" apart. The more they clash, the more the tension between them grows, sparking emotions neither of them can afford to feel.

But war is brewing, and secrets can only stay hidden for so long. When the truth comes to light, will Elara’s strength be enough to protect her dream—or will the betrayal cost her everything, including the man she never meant to fall for?

A Warrior's secret

Her mind kept circling back to the letter, to the sheer recklessness of her friend deciding to come here. Did she not realize how dangerous this was? How hard Elara had worked to maintain her disguise?

She groaned, rubbing her face. This was bad.

Arrival at the Fortress

The next afternoon, the fortress gates opened for an incoming carriage. It was nothing grand, just a small traveling coach, but Elara's heart pounded when she saw who stepped out.

There she was—Lilian.

The one friend she had back home. The only one who had never treated her like she was fragile, never told her she should just settle for an ordinary life.

And now, she stood at the entrance of the fortress, hands on her hips, eyes scanning the area like she was looking for something ridiculous. Like she was looking for her.

Elara immediately stepped back into the shadows, her brain working in overdrive. How was she going to handle this?

Kai, standing beside her, frowned. "Who's that?"

Kai raised an eyebrow at her poor attempt at lying, but before he could press further, Lilian's sharp voice rang out.

"Elara, where are you? I swear, if you don't show your face, I'll—"

Elara lunged forward and clapped a hand over Lilian's mouth, practically dragging her away from the main yard before anyone could hear.

"Are you insane?!" Elara whisper-yelled.

Lilian pulled back, eyes narrowing. "Are you insane? What the hell are you doing here, dressed like that?!"

Elara winced. "Lower your voice—"

"Lower my—" Lilian inhaled sharply, then exhaled through her nose. "You're insane. You're actually insane."

Lilian crossed her arms. "Your parents were reluctant to tell me, but I forced it out of them. I thought you'd run away to a different town or something. Not to the freaking kingdom's knights."

"Shh," Elara hissed. "I'm disguised, okay? I'm not 'Elara' here."

Lilian paused, eyes flickering over her, finally taking in the short hair, the uniform, the way she carried herself.

Then, to Elara's horror—she started laughing.

"Oh, this is rich," Lilian wheezed. "You—you're actually pulling this off?"

Lilian wiped at her eyes. "So… what am I supposed to call you? Sir Elara?"

Lilian grinned. "Oh, this is gold. But seriously, what's the plan here? How long are you going to keep this up?"

Lilian's amusement faded slightly. "And what happens if someone figures you out?"

Elara looked away. She didn't have an answer for that.

Their conversation was cut short by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Elara stiffened, turning just as Damien and Valen walked toward them, deep in discussion.

Lilian—thankfully—had her back to them, but Elara panicked when she saw Damien's sharp gaze flicker toward them.

Elara shoved Lilian's face into her shoulder, muffling her words.

Damien's brow furrowed. "Who is that?"

Elara forced out a chuckle, heart pounding. "Oh, uh, just a friend from back home. She was… interested in visiting the fortress."

Lilian elbowed her in the ribs but thankfully didn't speak.

Damien barely looked interested. "She has no reason to be inside the training grounds. If she's here for personal reasons, she should speak with the head steward."

Elara exhaled slowly. Too close.

Lilian peeled herself away, eyes wide. "Oh, you are so dead if you slip up."

A familiar face in a dangerous territory