And yet…
Looking at her—Guinevere, no longer Lioran—I couldn’t summon the regret I knew I should have felt. She watched me with those stunning eyes, her expression open, uncertain, and so heartbreakingly vulnerable it made my chest ache.
What we’d shared… it had been honest. In a world built on secrets, shadows, and shifting loyalties, this had been the one true thing. That truth would have to carry me forward—through guilt, through consequence, through whatever storm waited on the other side of dawn.
“This changes nothing about your situation,” I said quietly, grimly. “If Arthur discovers you…”
I couldn’t finish. The words turned to stone in my throat. I would not allow him to discover her. I would protect her. How? I wasn't certain. But I would.
Her voice was small but steady. “Will you tell him?”
I stood and turned to the window, staring out across the moonlit battlements. The towers of Camelot rose like silent judges in the dark, as if they, too, waited for my answer.
“I know I should,” I said at last. “My oath. My duty. My identity is bound to Arthur and Camelot.” I looked back at her and shook my head. “But I could never do that to you.”
"Lance," she started, but I held up a hand to silence her. There was more I wanted her to know.
"The man Arthur has become… he’s not the king I pledged my life to. Not any longer.” I drew a breath, heavy and ragged. “And what’s more—I believe you. About the reason why you’re here.”
Surprise flickered across her face. “You do?”
I nodded. “You are one of the most gifted knights in this court—magic or no magic. And your sex should never have kept you from serving your king… or your country.”
She smiled then. A real smile, soft and radiant, beautiful.
I sighed and shook my head. "But it isn't safe for you to remain here, Guinevere. Regardless of whether or not I keep your secret."
"But—"
“—if Arthur somehow learns the truth, you’ll need to leave Camelot. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
She drew in a shaky breath. “Where would I go?” Her eyes lifted to mine—violet, luminous, full of quiet despair. “My home is gone—destroyed. My parents are dead. There’s nothing left to return to.”
The weight of her predicament settled over me like heavy chainmail. She'd risked everything and now stood with nowhere to turn. What was more—I couldn't stomach the thought of never seeing her again.
“Perhaps we could find a place somewhere far from here,” I said. “A village in the northern reaches, near the borderlands. Arthur’s reach is weakest there. You could live quietly, without fear.” I paused. "And I could come to you whenever I was able."
A wistful smile tugged at her lips as she brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “This hair would betray me no matter where I went. I would be found eventually.”
“Then we’ll find a way to hide you.” I knew this was all wishful thinking. Arthur never forgot. He never forgave. He would hunt her until his heart stopped. Still, I returned to the bed and pulled her against me, feeling the fragile rhythm of her heartbeat against my chest. Whatever it took, I would protect her. Against Arthur. Against anyone who wished her ill.
“You deserve better than a life spent in fear,” I continued. “And I will not allow any harm to come to you.”
She looked up at me then, shaking her head. “You can’t protect me from Arthur.”
“Maybe not forever,” I admitted, cupping her jaw gently, “but I can protect you now.” I kissed her softly—just once, a promise pressed into her lips rather than a claim. “I’ll find a way.”
Then something occurred to me—a cold dread settling in my stomach. “Does anyone else know your secret? Anyone who might expose you before we can act?”
She stiffened slightly, the warmth between us fading as worry shadowed her eyes. She glanced toward the window, as though fearing the night itself might be listening. Her lips parted, but for a moment, she said nothing—just gnawed gently at her lower lip.
Finally, she whispered, “Kay.”
“Fuck.” The word left me like a punch to the ribs. I pulled back, dragging a hand through my hair as frustration surged through me. Of all the people who could have known her secret… it had to be Kay. With his sharp tongue and sharper instincts, he never missed an opportunity to leverage knowledge for personal gain. He would savor this secret—wait until it hurt the most to reveal it.
The thought of his eyes on her, knowing, calculating—it made my skin crawl. “How did that bastard discover what you’ve hidden so well?”
She hesitated, fingers twisting nervously in the tangled sheets. “He got a sample of my blood when we were sparring. He tested it. I don’t know the details, only that he confronted me afterward with the truth.”
