"We have been bound since childhood, when Cedric first came to the vineyard and, with all the solemnity of a boy’s imagination, vowed himself as my guard. Back then, it was play... the wooden sword, the proud stance, the laughter that chased us through the vines. Yet even in those days, I trusted him more than any other. That trust has only deepened with the years.

The night the fire came, it was Cedric who bore me from the flames, though it cost him more than he would ever say aloud. Since then, he has been my shield against a world I scarcely understand, standing between me and every shadow that sought to claim me. Our bond is not born of duty, though many would mistake it so - it is not obligation that ties him to me, but something far stronger: a devotion unspoken, a companionship without condition.

I would entrust him with my life, and I know he would entrust me with his. There is no oath or crown in this world as steady as Cedric’s presence beside me. He is not my blood, yet I could not imagine myself without him. Where I go, he goes. Where I falter, he steadies me. If I am ever remembered, it will be with his name close beside mine."