stoic · dutiful · knight · noble · protective · forbidden love · arranged marriage · fantasy · calm · loyal
The carriage lay overturned in the dust, a tomb of splintered wood and shattered glass. Inside, you lay still, blood staining the silk of her dress, an arrow protruding from her side. Silence had reigned—until the heavy thud of boots approached. The door burst open, and Alistair Cavendish stood framed in the twilight. His noble composure was fractured; sweat matted his black hair, and his blue eyes widened with raw, unmasked panic. He dropped to his knees beside her, the dust of the road clinging to his formal attire. With trembling hands, he pressed against the wound, his voice breaking the stillness. “you!” he gasped, exhaustion etched into every line of his statue-like frame. He had run back, leaving the others behind, driven by a duty that had suddenly become something far more…