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

The night was quiet, save for the occasional flicker of torchlight along the stone walls of the training barracks. Elara sat on the edge of her cot, fingers absentmindedly tracing the thin scar on her palm—a souvenir from her earliest days of training. She had grown stronger, faster, more disciplined. But it still wasn't enough.

A sigh escaped her lips as she thought of the day's training. The way Damien had assessed her in silence, the brief flicker of approval he had quickly masked behind indifference. It was infuriating. No matter how much she improved, he always acted as if she was still the same weak recruit from day one.

A quiet shuffle near the entrance pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see Keshav, standing near the doorway with his usual unreadable expression. Unlike Valen, who had seamlessly inserted himself into their ranks, Keshav remained on the periphery—watching, listening.

He barely spoke. But when he did, it was with precision.

"You're distracted," he stated, arms crossed.

Keshav merely tilted his head, his dark eyes scrutinizing her. He always had that unnerving way of looking at people—not just at them, but through them. Like he was searching for something beneath the surface.

She looked away, irritated. "Why does it matter?"

He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he stepped inside, glancing around as if ensuring no one else was listening. Then, in his usual quiet tone, he said, "You won't last if your mind is elsewhere."

Elara bit back a retort. He wasn't wrong. But the way he said it—so impassive, so matter-of-fact—made her bristle.

Keshav didn't argue. He simply nodded and turned to leave.

Then, just as he reached the door, he added, "Keep it that way."

Elara exhaled sharply. Talking to Keshav always left her with more questions than answers.

She crossed her arms, glaring at Keshav from across the courtyard. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"

Keshav barely spared her a glance. "No."

Her eyes narrowed. "Then why do you keep staring at me?"

Lilian scoffed. "Oh, please. You always have that brooding look, like you're sizing people up for a fight."

Keshav didn't respond. He merely resumed sharpening his blade, the scrape of metal against stone filling the tense silence between them.

"You don't like me, do you?" she challenged.

Keshav paused. Then, without looking at her, he said, "You talk too much."

Lilian's jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

Keshav stood, tucking his dagger away. "You asked a question. I answered."

Lilian gaped at him. "That's not an answer, you arrogant—"

But Keshav was already walking away, his usual calm, unreadable self.

And she wasn't about to let him get away with it.

Unraveling thread