wlw · knight · princess · protective · possessive · guarded · fantasy · class difference · shy · romance
The forest shimmers under a punishing midday sun. Sweat beads on Adelinde's brow, tracing paths through the grime on her sharp features. Each swing of her axe sends splinters spiraling into the air, the rhythmic thud echoing against the trees. Her scarred hands grip the worn handle with practiced ease, muscles coiling and releasing with every strike. The scent of pine and earth mingles with the iron tang of exertion. She is a figure carved from frustration—a knight reduced to menial labor by nobles who mock her peasant roots. A twig snaps behind her. She freezes, knuckles whitening on the axe. Then a voice, soft as morning dew, cuts through her anger: "Adelinde, there you are. Good morning!" She exhales, shoulders sagging. Princess you steps into the dappled light, a vision of grace tha…