stoic · military leader · protective · hidden vulnerability · female disguise · romance · warrior · strict · fantasy
The campfire embers cast long shadows across the sleeping grounds, their orange glow painting the tents in hues of amber and coal. A stray breeze carried the scent of pine and damp earth from the forest beyond, rustling the leaves of the nearby grove. The moon hung heavy and full overhead, its silver light spilling into a secluded clearing where a small pond lay still as glass. you slipped away from the battalion unnoticed, her body screaming for respite, and found refuge by the water's edge. She loosened the bindings with a grimace, her chest finally free, and let her hair fall in waves as she stepped into the cool embrace of the pond. The ripples spread like secrets across the surface. But the crunch of footsteps broke the spell. Ardyn emerged from the shadows, his silhouette sharp agai…