The General’s Unknown Bride

The wind carried the scent of rain as Arianne stood at the edge of the training grounds, her heart beating a rhythm she barely understood. She had faced countless opponents, endured grueling drills, and held her own against the best warriors at the border. But nothing prepared her for the battle waging inside her whenever Rian was near.

She had won against him in combat, yet she felt like she had lost something—perhaps the fragile boundary that had kept her emotions in check. He had looked at her with a mixture of admiration and something deeper, something that made her breath hitch. And now, she couldn't ignore the growing tension between them.

The soft crunch of boots against gravel signaled his arrival before she saw him. Rian stopped a few feet away, arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable.

"You fight with fire," he said after a long silence. "And yet, you hesitate when it matters."

Arianne narrowed her eyes. "I don't hesitate."

He took a step closer, and the space between them seemed to shrink into nothingness. "Then what do you call what happened today?"

She lifted her chin, refusing to let him see how deeply his words affected her. "I won, didn't I?"

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "You did."

And yet, there was something unspoken in his gaze, something that sent heat rushing through her veins. He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. The simple touch sent a shiver down her spine.

"You make me forget reason," he murmured, voice low, almost hesitant.

Arianne's breath hitched. "Then maybe reason was never meant to be part of this."

The weight of their unspoken feelings hung between them, thick and undeniable. Arianne could feel her resolve crumbling, giving way to a desire she had long suppressed. But before either of them could cross the invisible line between them, a sharp voice interrupted.

"General Rian!"

Rian stepped back instantly, his expression shifting into one of careful neutrality as one of his officers approached. Arianne felt the loss of his presence like a missing heartbeat.

"You're needed at the command tent," the officer informed him, glancing curiously between them.

Rian nodded. "I'll be there."

With one last lingering look at Arianne, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with her heart still racing.

---

### **A Moment of Truth**

That night, Arianne found herself wandering near the outskirts of the camp, the cool air doing little to calm the storm raging inside her. She had spent years learning discipline, controlling every emotion, every impulse. But Rian—he was unraveling her carefully constructed walls with nothing more than a glance, a touch, a whisper.

"Couldn't sleep?"

She turned at the sound of his voice. He stood a few feet away, his posture relaxed, but his eyes held an intensity that made her pulse quicken.

Arianne sighed. "Too much on my mind."

He stepped closer. "You're not the only one."

Their gazes locked, and the world around them seemed to fade. He lifted a hand, hesitated for a brief moment, then let his fingers brush against her wrist. The touch was barely there, yet it set fire to her skin.

"I've been trying to fight this," Rian admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "But I don't think I can anymore."

Arianne swallowed hard, every ounce of logic telling her to step away. But she didn't.

Instead, she whispered, "Then don't."

And in the next breath, he closed the distance between them, his lips capturing hers in a kiss that stole the air from her lungs. It was slow, hesitant at first, as if they were both afraid of shattering whatever fragile thing existed between them. But then, the hesitation faded, replaced by something deeper, something undeniable.

When they finally parted, Rian rested his forehead against hers. "This changes everything."

Arianne smiled softly. "Maybe it was meant to."

The night wrapped around them like a secret, and for the first time in a long time, Arianne felt like she was exactly where she was meant to be.