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

Elara felt the soreness settle into her limbs as she sat up, brushing dust from her clothes. Keshav hadn't just fought her—he had studied her. And that unsettled her more than the loss itself.

Morning came faster than she would've liked, and with it, the grueling routine of training. By the time the sun had fully risen, the recruits were already in the yard, steel clashing, voices sharp with orders and corrections.

Elara did her best to blend in. But after last night, she couldn't shake the feeling that Keshav's gaze lingered longer than usual.

"Looks like someone's caught the attention of our silent knight," Kai muttered as he fell into step beside her, nudging her shoulder.

Elara forced a scoff. "In what world does Keshav pay attention to anything but his own sword?"

Kai smirked. "In this one, apparently."

Elara kept her expression neutral, but irritation bubbled beneath the surface. She could handle suspicion. What she didn't need was unwanted attention drawing more eyes to her.

"Let's go," she said, tightening her grip on her sword. "Unless you'd rather gossip all day."

The morning passed in endless drills. Footwork. Strikes. More footwork. By midday, sweat clung to her skin, but Elara welcomed the exhaustion. It kept her mind from wandering.

"You," Damien's voice cut through the training yard like a blade.

Elara turned, straightening instinctively.

Damien stood at the center of the yard, arms crossed, his gaze locked onto her.

"Again?" she muttered under her breath.

Beside her, Kai whistled. "Looks like you've made an impression, too."

The recruits had gone silent. This wasn't an ordinary training session. Damien's expression was unreadable as he tossed a wooden sword toward her.

Elara caught the weapon, adjusting her grip. This was bad. She had already fought Keshav last night, and now Damien?

She squared her stance as Damien unsheathed his own practice sword. No warnings. No questions. He struck first.

She parried, stepping back as he pressed forward with relentless precision. Damien didn't fight like Keshav. He wasn't testing her. He was breaking her defenses apart piece by piece, leaving no room for counterattacks.

Each strike sent vibrations up her arms, forcing her to adjust faster than she could think.

When he swung again, she twisted, stepping into his guard—

A sharp kick to her side sent her stumbling back, her balance faltering.

In the next breath, his blade was at her throat.

Damien didn't speak. He simply lowered his weapon and turned away.

"Fix your stance," was all he said before walking off.

The recruits murmured as the tension faded, but Elara barely heard them.

Because across the yard, Keshav watched.

She was running out of time before someone figured out what she was hiding.

The watchful eyes