Long ago, there was a princess—the third princess of her silax. Before the sun even rose, she would wake to practice her knightly drills under the moonlight. The night was her safe haven, the only place she could be her forbidden self: a fighter, non-traditional and fierce.

"You know, you are one weird person, Princess Rune Vesper," a deep voice called out from the shadows of the garden.

"Don't you mean the Third Princess?" Rune Vesper responded coldly.

As a cloud passed by the moon, the light reflected off Rune’s custom crystal armor. It was forged of quartz that shimmered with teal, violet, and occasional flashes of gold. The light also revealed the knight hiding in the shadows: Sir Soren.

"No, really," Soren teased, stepping forward. "You’re basically the only person I know who trains at night while everyone else is asleep."

Rune Vesper rolled her eyes.

"You’re lucky I’m the only one who knows about this blind spot in the garden," Soren added, "and that I haven’t told the King and Queen on you."

"Well then... up for a duel?" Vesper challenged. Her armor rippled with teal and gold as she shifted into a stance. It was a piece of craftsmanship Rune didn’t bother to hide well, yet the King and Queen never seemed to notice its true nature.

"Nah, I have an early shift tomorrow and I don't want to look bad in front of Princess Amara," Soren admitted, a slight blush creeping onto his face. "Just... make sure to go back to bed soon, Princess Rune Vesper," he added, quickly snapping out of his daze.

Rune signaled that she would, then turned her back to return to her training. Just as the first stings of morning light began to show, Rune was already back in her chambers. She stripped off her armor and tucked it into its hiding place.

"It’s a shame no one can see this beauty in the daylight," she whispered, a ghost of a smile touching her lips before she climbed into bed to pretend she was asleep.

"3... 2..." she counted. "1."

Right on cue, the maids entered, addressing her only as "the Third Princess," just like everyone else. Rune didn't bother to correct them.

She rose, refusing to let the maids bathe or dress her in styles she disliked. However, to survive the castle and the wrath of the King and Queen, she dressed accordingly. As she moved through the castle, attending yet another tea party hosted by the Queen, Rune played her part: polite, quiet, and pretty.

Soren and the other knights stood guard. Rune didn't need to look to know Soren was staring at her sister, Amara. She didn't blame him; Amara was a smart, caring soul who looked like a classic main character. With her blonde hair, clear green eyes, and bright pinkish skin, she was the picture of a storybook princess. Beside her, Soren looked the part of the perfect knight with his ashy black hair and bright blue eyes.

They were nothing like Rune. With her blood-red hair, nut-brown eyes, and skin as pale as ice, Rune Vesper was the image of the late Queen Amber Rune. It was obvious where Rune’s first name had come from—the great leader who had been the heart of the kingdom.

Rune kept nodding to the guests, but she didn't truly hear them; she had learned how to turn her ears off. That was until a little girl with deep blue hair and dark skin approached her.

"Anny Luniii!" the girl cried, running toward her.

Rune’s eyes softened instantly. She knelt down to hug her niece, Princess Jasmen Elena. At only three years old, Jasmen still struggled with her letters. For a moment, Rune let her mental guard down and hugged Elena tight.

Nearby, some knights whispered to Soren. "I never thought I’d live to see this side of the Third Princess."

Soren chuckled. In all the time he’d known Rune, he had rarely seen her show emotion for anything other than her obsession with upgrading her armor, her training, or her library. But with Princess Elena, Rune was a completely different person.

Rune knew people were staring as she sat on the grass, but she didn't care. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny toy she had handmade for the occasion. Jasmen was overjoyed.

Meanwhile, the first prince sat near the Queen, clearly hoping the tea party would end so he could return to his lab. Prince Hunter and the second prince, Marshall, were geeks rather than fighters. Hunter only endured these parties for the Queen's sake, having no interest in finding a bride yet.

Suddenly, a massive, dark roar shattered the peace, spreading horror through the castle. The air thickened. Hearts hammered as guests fled and knights rushed to protect the royals.

Soren approached Rune, but she cut him off with a command. "Get everyone through the secret paths! Now!"

Her eyes darted to Amara. A wall of the castle was crumbling, directly above her sister. Without thinking, Rune activated her magic gloves, summoning her shield and pieces of her quartz armor to deflect the debris. Her mind raced—not out of sisterly love, but out of a tactical need to keep the peace.

She studied the dark, ashy dragon as it hovered above. Soren and the knights rushed onto the battlefield.

"Princess Vesper!" Soren shouted.

"Stay back! The dragon can't see you from there!" Rune commanded.

"What?" Soren was confused. Some of the younger knights ignored her and charged forward, nearly getting crushed before Rune physically shoved them out of the way.

"I told you not to get closer!" Rune scolded. "The dragon can't sense things at your distance, even with its size! It takes three minutes for it to charge its next attack—that’s when its weak spot is vulnerable! But thanks to you, I couldn’t reach it!"

The knights looked down in shame.

"Now," Rune commanded, her voice sharp. "Soren, take two men and sneak into the soft spots under its thick skin. Two more, get underneath it to take down the core while it's charging. Archers—distract it from a distance!"

"But—" one knight started to protest.

"No buts! Unless you want the whole castle to fall on our heads!"

Her tone forced them to take her seriously. Under her leadership, they brought the dragon down. As the monster fell and the adrenaline faded, the knights finally relaxed. Caught between the blood and the rubble, the "Third Princess" had finally earned her true name among them: Rune Vesper.