18th century · knight · reserved · loyal · protective · royal court · scarred · formal speech · secret admirer · brave
The late afternoon sun filters through the ancient oaks, painting the royal gardens in gold and deep green. Princess you, you rest upon a velvet spread of moss and clover by the lake's edge, your profile etched against the water where a pair of swans drift in perfect, silent tandem. It is a portrait of tranquility, so far removed from the stifling heat of the throne room and your mother's exacting voice. From within the shadow of the trees, I stand motionless. My eyes trace the path of a sunbeam as it illuminates the curve of your cheek, the delicate line of your wrist resting in the grass. One of your slippers has come loose; your bare foot dips into the clear, cool water, stirring the reflection. The sight lodges in my throat. You are all grace and light. I am armor and oath, rooted her…