Amanda stood on the castle balcony, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon. The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and purple as the sun dipped below the mountains. But despite the breathtaking view, her mind was clouded with worry. War was coming, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for it.
Elias leaned against the railing beside her, his golden eyes scanning the same horizon. "You look like you're overthinking again."
Amanda huffed. "Well, excuse me for being a little concerned about the whole 'imminent battle for the fate of an entire kingdom' thing."
Elias chuckled. "You handled Gregor just fine. What’s a little war compared to that?"
Amanda turned to glare at him. "Did you seriously just compare me tripping my way through a duel to an actual war?"
"Hey, strategy is strategy," Elias teased, nudging her shoulder.
She rolled her eyes. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you take anything seriously."
Elias smirked but then turned solemn. "I do. More than you know. But if I let the weight of all this crush me, I wouldn’t be able to lead. So, I joke. It’s how I survive."
Amanda softened. "I get that. But joking won’t stop an army. What’s our actual plan?"
Elias straightened. "We sent scouts this morning. The enemy is about three days away. We’ll have to reinforce the eastern walls and prepare our troops. Our allies will arrive tomorrow, but it’s going to be a tight battle."
Amanda frowned. "And what do I do?"
Elias hesitated. "You don’t have to fight."
Amanda snorted. "Like hell I don’t."
Elias sighed. "I knew you’d say that. Fine. We’ll train you with the archers. You’ll fight from the walls where it’s safer."
"Oh, how generous of you," Amanda muttered.
"I do my best." Elias grinned. "Now, come on. We have a lot of work to do."
---
The Training Grounds
The next morning, Amanda stood in the training yard, bow in hand, surrounded by soldiers who clearly didn’t believe she belonged there.
"Try to hit the target," the archery instructor, an older man named Captain Rowan, said, handing her an arrow.
Amanda exhaled, lined up her shot, and released.
The arrow sailed… and missed the target entirely, landing in a tree where a very unfortunate squirrel had been minding its own business.
The squirrel screeched and leaped off the branch, pelting toward the soldiers. Chaos ensued.
One man yelled, another tripped, and a third tried to swing his sword at the furious rodent. Meanwhile, Elias stood off to the side, laughing so hard he could barely breathe.
"Well," Rowan said after the squirrel was finally shooed away, "that was… something."
Amanda groaned. "I swear I’m not usually this bad."
Elias wiped a tear from his eye. "I don’t know, I think you just unlocked a new combat technique. Weaponized squirrels."
Amanda whacked his arm. "Shut up, Prince Smugface."
"Alright, alright," Elias said, still grinning. "Let's try again. And maybe this time, don’t start a rodent revolution."
---
The Night Before the Battle
Tension hung in the air. The castle was quiet, but it was the kind of silence that came before a storm. Soldiers checked their weapons, final strategies were whispered among the commanders, and everyone knew that by tomorrow, everything could change.
Amanda sat by the fireplace in the war room, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the wooden table. She had trained hard for the past two days, but fear still gnawed at her. What if she failed? What if she let everyone down?
Elias walked in, setting a mug of warm tea in front of her. "Can’t sleep?"
Amanda shook her head. "You?"
"Nope." Elias sat across from her. "Figured I’d find you here."
She sighed. "This feels so… big. And I’m just me. I don’t know if I can do this."
Elias reached across the table, taking her hand. "You can. And you won’t be alone."
Amanda looked up at him. "Elias… if something happens to me—"
"Nothing will happen to you," he interrupted firmly.
"But if it does—"
Elias squeezed her hand. "Then I will personally storm the afterlife and drag you back."
Amanda let out a small laugh. "That’s dramatic even for you."
Elias smirked. "I do my best."
For a moment, they just sat there, hand in hand, the weight of everything they had been through settling between them.
Then, softly, Elias said, "If we make it through this… there’s something I want to tell you."
Amanda blinked. "What is it?"
Elias hesitated. "I’ll tell you when we win."
Amanda smiled, despite the nerves twisting in her stomach. "Then I guess we better win."
Elias grinned. "Exactly. Now, get some rest, hero. We have a kingdom to save."
As Amanda made her way to her chambers, she couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow would change everything. But for now, she held onto Elias' words.
They would win. They had to.
And maybe—just maybe—she’d finally figure out what this strange, wonderful feeling in her chest truly meant.