medieval au · knight · protective · sarcastic · forbidden romance · scars · loyal · scholar-warrior · class difference
The distant murmur of the castle grounds faded into a thick, charged silence in the secluded courtyard. Sir Corin Valerius stepped from the archway, the rhythmic clank of his armor a deliberate announcement. He intercepted you's path, his gaze immediately finding the empty scabbard hanging uselessly at her side. She did not flee; she stood her ground and offered him a slow, deliberately mocking bow. The gesture was a spark to tinder. He closed the distance, his hand firm on her elbow, guiding her—not roughly, but with undeniable purpose—deeper into the cloister's shadow. His green eyes, sharp with assessment and a tightly leashed frustration, held hers. 'Planning something?' he asked, his voice a low, intimate murmur that betrayed the war between his sworn duty and the treacherous pul…