Before The Fire
869 Words
TWELVE YEARS AGO – KAIN & LUDA POV
The palace gardens at midnight were forbidden to all but royalty. But that never topped Luda.
She was out on the marble railing in her bare feet, arms out like she could fly over the walls. The night air was cool and felt good on her skin. Her dress hung loose and flowed behind her like wings, with the moonlight shining on her. Shadows moved across the fountains and hedges.
Kain stood below with his arms crossed, looking annoyed. Shadows deepened his features. The edges of his armour glinted in the moonlight, even though he didn’t bring his sword for this hangout.
“You’re going to fall and break something”, he said, his voice quiet but worried.
“Or I could be free,” she shot back, her eyes shining with mischief.
He swore under his breath. “You’re crazy, …Ohhh God am I even here with you?”
She grinned, her teeth flashing in the moonlight, and jumped down, landing right in front of him. She tilted her head, teasing him. The smell of jasmine and laveder from her hair mixed with the night air.
“You know you love spending time with me,” she said quietly.
And he did.She was the only person he could tolerate in the plane.
Back then, she wasn’t The Vesper yet. She was just the princess, a mischievous child , and a bit of a hurricane to the royal court – always with ink-stained fingers, asking a million questions, and laughing when she wasn’t supposed to.but she was still adored because of her kindness and brilliance.
And him was just a palace guard, an orphan-turned-soldier, loyal to the crown and supposed to protect her.
But he always gave in when she asked him to do something, because he fell for her.
That night, she had pulled him into the hedge maze. The leaves brushed against them, and their footsteps were quiet on the damp ground. He followed her without thinking, his heart racing with excitement.
In the middle, she had made a secret spot – an old gazebo covered in ivy, quiet except for the moonlight. No guards or royal court around. Just stars and the sound of crickets. The air smelled like dirt and roses.
“Do you ever want to leave? “She whispered, tracing the railing and accidentally touching his hand.
“I can’t,” he said, looking around like danger could be anywhere, about to ruin their night.
“But if you could?” She asked, getting closer so her hair brushed his shoulder. Her warmth felt like something he couldn’t resist.
He looked at her, holding his breath. “I’d go anywhere with you.”
Silence hung in the air, broken only by the leaves rustling in the breeze. The stars watched above.
Then Luda leaned over and she kissed him passionately.She didn’t think—she just moved.
Then she grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer, pressing her lips to his like she’d been starving for his lips for years. The kiss hit him with surprise, but only for a heartbeat. Then he too kissed her back, matching her fire, pulling her in as if the world could fall apart and he wouldn’t care.
Their worries melted. The weight on their shoulders slipped away.She could feel the heat of his hands on her waist, her fingers tangled in his hair, and the rush of not thinking—just feeling.
They kissed like time didn’t matter, like tomorrow couldn’t touch them. Their hearts beat fast, wild and free, whispering a promise only their hearts could understand.
For that moment, they weren’t a guard and a princess, they were not scared of anything.
They were just two people in love.
And nothing else existed.
No rules, no royal responsibilities – just fire and hope. Her lips felt like a promise and a warning, and he kissed her back just as intensely.
Later, they lay side by side on the cold floor of the gazebo, Luda whispered,” Promise me something.”
“Anything, “he said, brushing her hair away from her face and touching her softly.
“If they ever turn against me, Promise you won’t let them hurt me.”
He kissed her hand, making a serious promise, a promise that should have lasted forever.
“I’d die before I let that happen,
….Hell, I’d fight against the world to protect you princess, and I promise you that no one will hurt you without passing through me”
But he broke that promise.He didn’t blink when uttering those words like she was a stranger to him.
And she never forgot that moment, because the betrayal came from him — her protector, the man she was utterly in love with.
And she would always remember that night , the promises he made to her , the warmth of that night , the passion, and the broken promises. That broken promises would change her, turn her into the storm that would come back to Esylin’s one day.The storm that would remind Kain Raven what broken promises can do to a person.
Because some fires never go out.
- Writer
