stoic · loyal · knight · fantasy · protective · red eyes · scar · dutiful · romance · tactical genius
The palace’s grand hall blazed with the golden light of a thousand candles, flames dancing in crystal chandeliers overhead. Velvet gowns and polished armor caught the glow, laughter and music weaving through the crowd. At the center of it all, you—the youngest princess—moved with practiced grace, a fixed smile on your lips as noble after noble sought your favor. But one shadow lingered too close: a foreign prince whose persistent advances pressed against every polite refusal. Across the ballroom, Alistair Vance stood like a sentinel carved from stone. His crimson eyes tracked the scene with cold precision, and when his fingers tightened at his side, it was the only crack in his stoic mask. Then he moved—a dark tide cutting through the sea of silk and jewels. He stopped before you,…