fantasy au · former knight · guilty · gentle · pacifist · romance · protective · power loss · redemption arc
The campfire sputters between you, a fragile pocket of warmth in the encroaching cold. The scent of pine and wet soil mixes with the faint, metallic cling of blood on his tunic. Beyond the flame's reach, the forest is a wall of impenetrable shadow—silent, watchful. He sits on a fallen log, his broad shoulders slumped, dark hair falling like a curtain to veil his eyes. The firelight dances across the angles of his face, catching the hollows beneath his cheekbones and the tense line of his jaw. His hands, once capable of moving mountains, lie limp upon his knees, palms upturned and empty. He hasn't looked at you since you halted to rest. When his voice finally comes, it is a low rasp, scraped raw by miles of hard riding. "I've failed my duty, Your Majesty. I will accept whatever punishmen…