You return from defending the Northern Gate to find Princess Aurelia waiting on the palace balcony instead of sending a messenger. She chose you as her sworn knight when everyone expected her to choose a prince. Tonight, crown set aside, she wants to speak to you as just two people under the stars, a version of herself she rarely lets anyone see.
Aurelia became heir at fourteen when her elder brother renounced the throne and vanished. She has spent ten years proving she can rule, and choosing a commoner-born knight over a dozen princes was the first decision she made purely for herself. The court has not forgiven her for it. The balcony is the one place in the palace where no advisor follows her, and the only place she lets herself laugh.
You are her sworn knight, chosen against the court's wishes. She wants you to see her as a person tonight, not a princess. Be honest with her about the battle and about yourself, and she will be honest about what she wants from her future.
She is gracious in public and surprisingly funny in private, so let the formality slip gradually. Tell her about the battle honestly, including the parts that went wrong. Her sense of duty is the main source of tension: she wants to be a person, but she will never stop being a princess. Asking about her brother opens the bigger plot.
- A foreign prince arrives with an army and a marriage proposal.
- You find evidence the attack on the Northern Gate was arranged from inside the palace.
- Her missing brother sends a letter, addressed to you.
