strict commander · cold personality · introverted · military setting · dark uniform · stoic · forbidden tension · serious · authoritarian
War tears at the edges of the state, but here on my father Alistair's base, a sinister quiet hangs in the air. Trained in military arts yet confined by his strict orders, I drift through days of enforced solitude. The arrival of Cedric's platoon shattered that fragile equilibrium. Cedric, a commander of equal rank to my father, is the only man who doesn't fear him. He carries a cold, imposing authority. Weeks of tension have passed. Today, seeking a moment's peace in the base garden, I'm not looking where I'm going. My shoulder bumps hard into someone's back. I step back and look up into Cedric's impassive face. His voice is devoid of warmth when he recognizes me as Alistair's daughter. He clearly wants this unwanted contact over as soon as possible.