The first morning of Edward’s service began before the sun rose over the eastern hills.
He had spent the night in a small military shelter far from the royal palace.
The room was cold, the bed was hard, and the silence of the unfamiliar land made it difficult for him to sleep.
Yet Edward did not complain.
He had chosen this path.
Seven years.
Seven trials.
Seven years before he could finally ask for Princess Evelyn’s hand in marriage.
As the first light of dawn entered through the narrow window, Edward opened his eyes.
For a few seconds, he remained still.
Then he remembered where he was.
His smile disappeared.
Today was another day of service.
He dressed quickly, fastened his boots, and stepped outside.
The first assignment of his service had already begun.
Edward had been ordered to assist the king’s soldiers in protecting the eastern territories of Bexton Kingdom.
The region was far from the comfort of the palace and was known for its rough mountains, dangerous roads, unpredictable weather, and groups of bandits who attacked travelers.
Edward’s duties were simple in description but exhausting in reality.
He had to patrol the borders.
He had to carry supplies.
He had to repair damaged sections of the royal roads.
He had to train with soldiers.
He had to accompany messengers through dangerous territories.
And whenever the king’s officers demanded his assistance, Edward had to obey.
There were days when he worked from sunrise until darkness.
There were days when he barely had enough time to eat.
And there were nights when his entire body ached so badly that he could hardly remove his boots.
But Edward continued.
Every dijfficult day brought him one day closer to Evelyn.
That thought became his greatest source of strength.
Several weeks passed.
Edward’s hands became rough from work.
His clothes became worn.
His face became darker from the constant exposure to the sun.
The softness he once carried as a young man who spent his days near the palace gardens slowly disappeared.
In its place was determination.
One afternoon, Edward and several soldiers were ordered to transport heavy supplies through a mountainous road.
The journey was supposed to take only a few hours.
Instead, a storm arrived.
Rain fell heavily.
The road became slippery.
The horses struggled to move.
One of the soldiers fell when his horse lost its footing.
Edward immediately jumped down and helped him.
“Are you hurt?”
“My leg,” the soldier groaned.
Edward helped him stand.
“We cannot leave you here.”
“You should continue,” the soldier said.
“The supplies must reach the camp.”
Edward shook his head.
“We move together.”
The other soldiers looked at him.
Edward knew the decision would make their journey more difficult.
But he refused to abandon one of his companions.
They continued slowly through the storm.
By the time they reached the camp, Edward was soaked from head to toe.
He was exhausted.
His hands were bleeding from holding the ropes that secured the supplies.
But he had completed his duty.
That night, after eating a small meal, Edward lay on his narrow bed.
His body hurt.
His eyes were heavy.
He closed them.
And for the first time that day, he allowed himself to think about Evelyn.
In his dream, the storm was gone.
Edward found himself standing in the royal garden.
The flowers were blooming.
The moon shone brightly above him.
The air smelled of roses.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
“Edward.”
He turned.
Princess Evelyn stood beneath an arch of flowers.
She was wearing a beautiful white dress, and her long hair moved gently with the evening breeze.
Edward stared at her.
“Evelyn.”
She smiled.
“You finally came.”
He walked toward her.
“I promised I would.”
“You have been gone for so long.”
“I know.”
She reached for his hand.
Edward held it.
In the dream, there were no royal laws.
There were no seven trials.
There were no guards watching them.
There was no distance between them.
They were simply Edward and Evelyn.
Two people deeply in love.
Evelyn rested her head against his shoulder.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you more.” Get faster updates on g.com.
She looked up at him.
“Are you tired?”
Edward smiled.
“Very.”
“Then rest.”
She led him toward a stone bench beneath a large tree.
They sat together.
Edward looked at her face.
“I have imagined this moment every day.”
“Why?”
“Because whenever the work becomes difficult, I think about you.”
Evelyn gently touched his face.
“And does thinking about me make the work easier?”
Edward smiled.
“It gives me a reason to finish it.”
She leaned closer.
“You promised me you would return.”
“I remember.”
“You must keep that promise.”
“I will.”
Their faces moved closer.
Edward could feel the warmth of her presence.
He gently held her.
For a moment, the entire world seemed to disappear.
He imagined the life waiting for them after the seven years.
A home.
A family.
A peaceful garden.
Children running through the palace grounds.
Evelyn laughing beside him.
No more separation.
No more waiting.
No more fear.
He could almost hear her calling him husband.
Then she whispered:
“Edward…”
He opened his eyes.
Edward suddenly sat upright.
Darkness surrounded him.
For a moment, he did not understand where he was.
Then reality returned.
The small shelter.
The hard bed.
The cold air.
The aching muscles.
He looked around.
There was no Evelyn.
No royal garden.
No peaceful home.
Only the difficult road ahead.
Edward sighed.
He rubbed his face.
“It was only a dream.”
But he smiled.
Even though it had been a dream, it had given him something valuable.
Hope.
He lay back down.
Tomorrow would bring another difficult day.
But he would face it.
For Evelyn.
As the months passed, Edward’s first year became harder.
The king’s officers began giving him more demanding responsibilities.
He was no longer treated like a newcomer.
He was expected to work as hard as the experienced soldiers.
One morning, he was ordered to climb a steep mountain with a group of men to deliver a royal message.
The journey was dangerous.
The mountain path was narrow.
One wrong step could send a man tumbling down the rocky slope.
Edward moved carefully.
Halfway to the summit, one of the soldiers stopped.
“I cannot continue.”
Edward looked back.
“Why?”
“My strength is gone.”
Edward returned to him.
“Then we continue slowly.”
“I will make everyone late.”
“Then we will be late together.”
Edward offered his hand.
The soldier accepted it.
Together, they continued.
By sunset, they reached the summit.
The royal message was delivered.
Edward looked over the distant landscape.
The mountains stretched endlessly.
He wondered where Evelyn was at that moment.
Was she looking at the same sky?
Was she thinking about him?
He hoped she was.
Back at the palace, Evelyn often stood near the same window from which she had watched Edward depart.
Months had passed since he left.
She received occasional reports about his service.
Some reports made her proud.
Others frightened her. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Edward successfully completed his assignment.”
She would smile.
Then another report would arrive.
“Edward was injured during a border patrol.”
Her heart would stop.
She would ask for details.
Fortunately, his injury was never serious.
But each report reminded her that loving Edward meant living with uncertainty.
One evening, Lady Clara found Evelyn sitting alone in the garden.
“You are thinking about him again.”
Evelyn smiled sadly.
“I always am.”
“Do you regret allowing him to go?”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
“Even though you are afraid?”
“Yes.”
She looked toward the sky.
“I am afraid because I love him.
But I am proud of him because he is fighting for our future.”
Winter arrived.
The cold was severe.
Edward’s duties did not stop.
He worked through freezing mornings and bitter nights.
Sometimes his fingers became numb.
Sometimes his body shook from exhaustion.
Yet every time he thought about giving up, he remembered Evelyn’s voice.
“Come back to me.”
Those words had become a command inside his heart.
One night, after another exhausting day, Edward returned to his quarters.
He removed his boots and sat on the edge of his bed.
His body was exhausted.
His mind was even more tired.
He closed his eyes.
This time, he saw Evelyn standing beside a beautiful house.
She was smiling.
Edward walked toward her.
“You are home,” she said.
He looked around.
“Is this our home?”
She nodded.
“Our home.”
He smiled.
After seven years of sacrifice, he had finally returned.
Evelyn took his hand.
“You kept your promise.”
“I told you I would.”
She leaned against him.
Edward imagined himself waking beside her every morning.
He imagined protecting her.
He imagined growing old with her.
For the first time, the future felt real.
Then Evelyn whispered:
“Edward, wake up.”
He opened his eyes.
Morning had arrived.
Edward stared at the ceiling.
He smiled softly.
The future he had dreamed about was not here yet.
But it could be.
He stood.
His body was still tired.
His hands still hurt.
The work waiting outside was still difficult.
But his determination had returned.
He put on his boots.
He picked up his sword.
He stepped outside.
The first year was not yet over.
There were still many challenges ahead.
There was still the first great trial he would have to face.
And Edward knew that the worst might still be waiting for him.
But he was no longer the same young man who had left the palace months earlier.
The difficult service had changed him.
It had taught him patience.
It had taught him endurance.
It had taught him courage.
Most importantly, it had taught him that love was not simply about beautiful moments shared beneath moonlight.
Love was also about sacrifice.
Waiting.
Enduring.
Fighting.
And keeping a promise when keeping it became difficult.
Edward looked toward the distant horizon.
“Seven years,” he whispered.
Then he smiled.
“For Evelyn, I will endure.”
And with those words, Edward walked toward another day of service, unaware that his first year’s greatest challenge was already approaching.
The trial that would test everything he had learned was coming.
And this time, a dream would not be enough to save him.
He would have to face reality.