"No, it hasn't," she said firmly, shaking her head. "It's been my honor to have you by my side." Her voice was soft and sincere, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You are truly irreplaceable, Ben. You know that, don't you?"

He looked away for a moment, unsure how to respond. The words she spoke meant so much more than he could ever express. But all he could say was, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Her smile was soft and genuine as she reached out to touch his cheek with the back of her fingers. "I mean it," she said quietly. "You are more than my bodyguard and friend; you're like a brother to me." Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

For a moment, they sat there in silence, their connection as strong as ever despite the weight of their words. Then, Ben cleared his throat, breaking the tension between them. "Shall we return inside?"

With a sigh, Haley turned away from the window and towards the door. "Come in, ben," she called wearily. She had been poring over reports all morning, and her head was starting to throb. She didn't even bother trying to smooth out her rumpled clothes as her trusted bodyguard came into view.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I hope it's important."

"What?" Haley gasped, taken aback by ben's announcement. "But... why? You can't mean that!" She looked at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. He had been with her for so long; through thick and thin, he had always been there. The thought of losing him... it was unbearable.

"I have faith in the next generation of guards," ben explained gently. "They are strong and capable, just like you were when I first began training you."

"Oh?" Haley asked casually, not looking up from where she was pruning a delicate rose bush. "Someone special?" She couldn't help but tease him, their easy rapport making even the most mundane of topics seem interesting.

"Lily..." Haley repeated thoughtfully, trying to remember which girl ben was talking about. "Ah yes, I believe I've seen her around." A slow smile spread across her face as she considered the idea of ben marrying someone else. It felt strange, almost bittersweet, but at the same time it made perfect sense. He deserved happiness too, after all he had done for her and their family.

King Ashton sighed heavily, running a hand through his thinning hair. "This is Lord Sheridan," he said, indicating the dark-haired man with a tired wave of his hand. "And I have summoned you here because we are in quite the predicament." He paused for a moment, searching Haley's face before continuing. "It seems that Cedric here has been... less than truthful in his dealings with House Sheridan. They are not pleased, to put it mildly. In fact,"

King Ashton paused, looking at her meaningfully before continucing, "they've demanded your hand in marriage as compensation." Haley felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. No, this couldn't be happening. She looked to ben for support, but he only met her eyes with a somber expression.

Cedric Sheridan leaned forward in his seat, a triumphant smirk on his face. "You see? I told you she was the key to fixing this mess."

Queen Haley sat back in her chair, surprised by Ben's sudden announcement. "You do? Who is the lucky lady?" she asked with a smile, already feeling a wave of happiness wash over her at the thought of one of her closest friends finding love.

"That's wonderful, Ben!" Queen Haley exclaimed, beaming with approval. "Lady Lily is a lovely woman, and she deserves someone as kind and loyal as you in her life." She paused for a moment, considering the situation. "Of course, there are certain protocols that must be followed when asking for someone's hand in marriage. Lady Lily's family would need to give their consent first, but I'm sure they'll see what a perfect match you two make."

As far as she knew, he continued to serve his king and queen loyally, always watching over her and their children like a hawk. But even so, there was something... off about him. Something Haley couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was simply the weight of years bearing down upon him, or perhaps there was more to it than that.

She made a mental note to speak with ben again soon; not as his queen and ruler, but as a friend.

One day, as Haley sat in her private chambers, going over the day's affairs, there was a knock at the door. She looked up expectantly, wondering who it could be. To her surprise, it was ben standing there, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Your majesty," he began hesitantly, "I... I need to talk to you about something."