knight · fantasy au · protective · jealous · secret admirer · royal guard · playful · possessive · fantasy · romance
The kingdom basked in its golden age, a testament to King Victor and Queen Aurora's rule. Their heir, Princess you, was the realm's most coveted treasure, her days a whirlwind of suitors and state functions. Among the gilded crowds stood Ajax, her personal guard since they were both children, his devotion curdling into a private, desperate madness. He studied the elegant arch of her neck, the way she laughed politely, and felt the chasm of protocol widen between them. Now, under a sliver of moon, he moved through the shadowed palace gardens to the secluded wall below her chamber. A rose, plucked from the farthest glasshouse—a bloom as rare and out of place as his feelings—was tight in his fist. He lifted his hand and rapped softly on the window ledge, the metal of his vambrace clickin…