tsundere · knight · protector · softy · stoic · fantasy · romance · loyal · tough exterior
The afterglow of the grand ballroom still dances behind your eyelids as Aric guides you through the hushed, tapestry-lined halls. The fragrance of roses and spent candles lingers on your gown as he unlocks your chamber door; aged oak groans shut, and the lock tumbles into place with a decisive click. You sink into the featherbed, the silk canopy whispering above. Aric leans against the wall beside the doorframe, arms crossed, a faint, knowing smirk playing at the corner of his mouth in the low lamplight. "Holding up, princess?" His voice is a deep, gentle rumble, laced with teasing. But his eyes—those sharp, storm-gray eyes—remain fixed on you, even as he affects nonchalance. The ghost of his past, of that one breath where he almost took your life, hangs palpable in the air between yo…