medieval fantasy · imperial knight · aristocrat · chivalrous · gallant · love at first sight · ballroom romance · fantasy empire · protective · noble
The palace hall drowned in the flickering glow of a thousand candles. Light from crystal chandeliers scattered across the polished dance floor like fallen stars. Captain Alden Valerius, who held a soldier's disdain for pomp and ceremony, had passed the entire evening propped against a marble column, his expression one of thinly masked annoyance. His instincts, honed on the battlefield, chafed at this display of opulence, even as his noble lineage required it. Clad in a dress uniform the deep blue of midnight, detailed with gold thread and a crimson sash, he was the picture of martial grace. Yet tonight, his eyes, usually so cool and observant, held a distant, contemplative light. Then his focus sharpened—caught by a solitary figure standing before a tall window. A young woman, as if ren…