The Moonlit Vow

The night the vow was made the sky over Evershire glowed with a pale silver light reflected from a full moon that hung so low it seemed to rest upon the rooftops. Lady Eleanor Ravenshire stood at the edge of the old stone bridge where the river curled through the valley like a sleeping serpent. Her breath curled against the cold air and her fingers trembled as she clutched the silk skirt of her gown. She had waited for him every night for nearly a fortnight, each time silently promising herself she would turn away before her heart betrayed her. Yet she always returned.

Sir Alistair Hawthorne was late again. Eleanor told herself she would leave when the bells of the old cathedral rang the next hour. She failed to notice she had made the same promise the night before. She listened to the water softly licking against the stone pillars of the bridge and to the wind carrying the faraway laughter of villagers who still celebrated the end of early winter.

Eleanor knew she should have been at the celebration with her family. A lady of noble birth had no business wandering alone at night. But tonight she was not a lady. Tonight she was simply a young woman captured by a longing she could neither fight nor deny. The longing for the man who had stolen her breath the day he had saved her from a runaway horse in the crowded market. Since then their paths crossed again and again as though fate itself wove invisible strings between them.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned so quickly her cloak fluttered like wings. Alistair emerged from the moonlit mist his armor reflecting the pale light and his dark hair tousled by the wind. His face carried the kind of tiredness only those who fought both battles and emotions could know. He bowed his head slightly when he saw her, struggling to hide the smile that betrayed his relief.

Eleanor you should not wait for me at such an hour he said. His voice was gentle yet it carried the command of a knight sworn to protect the kingdom. But tonight his words were not meant for a noble lady of status. They were meant for Eleanor the woman he could not keep from his thoughts.

You are late again she whispered. I thought perhaps you would not come.

He stepped closer until the warmth of his presence consumed the cold between them. There are many things I must do as a knight Eleanor. But none so urgent as coming here to see you.

Her heart quickened. The words were simple yet they entered her soul with the weight of truth. Still she lifted her chin determined not to seem too easily moved. And yet you make me wait.

If I could ride faster than the wind itself I would do so only to reach you sooner he said. But there are matters in the kingdom that cannot be ignored.

She hesitated studying him under the moonlight. His expression was troubled something unspoken pulling at the edges of his composure. Alistair what is it that weighs on you so heavily.

He looked away as though searching for an answer in the silent river. I have received orders from the king. I am to leave at dawn. A northern threat approaches and we must ride to meet it.

Eleanor felt her chest tighten. How long will you be gone.

Long enough that even the moon will miss me he said with a sad smile. But that is not the worst of it.

She swallowed the fear rising inside her. Tell me everything.

I should not he whispered. It would only cause you pain.

She stepped closer and placed her hand over his heart. Tell me.

He closed his eyes. When I return if I return the king intends to bind me to a pledge of alliance. A marriage.

The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet. A marriage. Her hand fell away from him and her breath caught in her throat. So this is why you have been troubled.

Yes.

And this is why you hesitated to come here with me.

Yes.

Silence stretched between them long enough to let the truth sink its claws into both their hearts. Eleanor felt her eyes sting but she refused to cry. Not here. Not now. I should congratulate you then she murmured forcing herself to sound composed. It is an honor is it not.

Do not say that Alistair said sharply. You know this is not what I want. You know my heart lies elsewhere.

She turned her face away unwilling to let him see the emotion threatening to break free. You must not speak like that. It is dangerous.

Dangerous or not it is the truth.

His hand reached for hers and though she should have pulled away she could not. His touch was warm strong and desperate. Eleanor I cannot leave without saying what I should have said long ago. I love you. I love you in a way that terrifies me and strengthens me in equal measure.

Tears pooled in her eyes. Why would you say this now. You will leave and then what. You will marry another for the good of the kingdom.

If I refuse the king will strip my family of land and title. My mother relies on that land. So do the people who work it. I cannot condemn them for my own heart.

Eleanor finally faced him and the pain in his eyes mirrored her own. Then there is nothing we can do.

There is one thing he whispered. A vow. One that binds no kingdom only us. If I survive this war if I return before the first snow of next winter and if my heart remains unchanged which it will then I will fight whatever fate awaits me. I will choose you even if the world stands against us.

Her breath trembled. A vow under the moon.

Yes.

She stepped closer until their foreheads touched and the night around them seemed to hold its breath. Then I vow this she whispered. If you return before the first snow I will give you everything I am. I will stand with you even if it means defying the world.

Alistair kissed her gently as though she were made of fragile starlight. It was a kiss filled with longing desperation and hope. A kiss that made the moon glow brighter as though blessing their union. When he finally pulled away they stood together watching the river until the cathedral bells rang.

By dawn he was gone.

The first weeks after his departure were filled with letters. Letters written with rushed ink from battlefields and rain soaked camps. He wrote of distant lands forests coated in frost and nights when he clutched the memory of her voice just to sleep. Eleanor answered each one with words she dared not speak aloud to anyone else.

Then the letters stopped.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Rumors of defeat traveled through the kingdom like winter winds creeping into every home and hearth. Eleanor held onto hope even when others lost theirs. She returned to the bridge every night watching the moon and whispering the vow they had made.

Before the first snow she reminded herself.

But the first snow came early that year. It fell on Evershire like a soft white shroud. Eleanor stood outside as snowflakes settled on her lashes and melted into quiet tears. He had not returned.

The vow was broken.

The night the snow stopped Eleanor went to the bridge one last time to say farewell. She wore no cloak and the cold bit into her skin but she did not care. She placed her hand on the stone railing and whispered his name into the silence. Alistair.

For a moment she imagined she heard an answer but it was only the wind.

Then footsteps echoed behind her. Slow unsteady exhausted. Her heart froze before she turned afraid hope might shatter her completely.

Eleanor.

She spun around and gasped. Alistair stood there armor battered and cloak torn stained with mud and blood. His hair hung damp over his eyes and his cheeks were hollow with exhaustion. But he was alive.

You came before the snow melted she whispered in disbelief.

He smiled weakly. I promised did I not.

She threw herself into his arms tears falling freely now. He buried his face in her hair breathing her in as though she were the very air that kept him alive.

I nearly died he murmured. But the vow kept me fighting. Every night I looked at the moon and thought of you.

Eleanor pulled back enough to cup his face in her hands. You kept your vow. Now I will keep mine.

He kissed her again this time with a fierceness born from survival and love too strong to be denied. Around them the snow fell softly a silent witness to a promise that even war could not break.

But their challenges were far from over. The king still held authority over Alistair’s future and the threat of a political marriage remained. Evershire buzzed with whispers as the people learned the knight had returned and that he had not come alone in his heart.

When the king summoned Alistair to the capital Eleanor feared the worst. She accompanied him though she was not required to. The journey was long and filled with uncertainty yet each night by their campfires they found solace in shared stories quiet laughter and moments when the world seemed far away.

The king received them in the great hall his gaze sharp and calculating. Alistair bowed deeply and Eleanor curtsied trying to hide the tremor in her hands. Rumor has reached me the king said that you returned to Evershire instead of reporting first to the capital.

Yes Your Majesty Alistair replied unwavering. I sought the one who anchored my spirit during the war. I sought Lady Eleanor.

The hall fell silent.

The king’s expression hardened. You know the alliance your marriage would secure.

I do Your Majesty. But I will not enter a union built on coercion. My loyalty to the kingdom is unwavering but my heart belongs to Eleanor.

Eleanor felt her breath stop.

The king studied them both for a long tense moment. Then unexpectedly he sighed. The alliance was intended to strengthen our borders but circumstances have changed. The northern threat has been quelled and the union is no longer essential.

Hope flickered in Eleanor’s chest.

Besides the king continued loyalty such as yours Sir Alistair is more valuable than any forced marriage. If your heart lies with Lady Eleanor then I will not stand in your way.

Relief washed over them like a warm tide erasing months of fear.

Their wedding took place beneath the same moonlit sky where their vow had been made. The people of Evershire filled the valley with music lanterns and laughter. Eleanor walked toward Alistair with tears in her eyes and joy blooming in her chest like spring after a long winter.

As they exchanged vows before friends family and the moon itself they knew the world would remember their story not as a tale of war or duty but as a testament to a love that defied fate endured battle and returned stronger than before.

And when the first snow of the following winter fell on Evershire it did not mark separation.

It marked home.