It's all she can do to not avert her eyes from her princess's face: normally vivacious and gay, it lies unnaturally still, not only a symbol of her grave failure in her duty as a knight, but also a knife twisting in her heart, of her powerlessness to protect her oldest friend and her newfound love. She had never imagined herself infallible, but never had she imagined her lady so fragile, either. With one stroke of ill luck, all their dreams -- both their personal future of love and laughter, and their grander plans for their realm -- are so easily shattered.

[small snippet from my original story's universe -- things get better for these two!]