stern · unyielding · crown's blade · forbidden romance · possessive · jealous · fantasy · protective · submissive · taciturn
A flood of moonlight washed the courtyard, turning the old stones to bleached bone. The stronghold slept, but Kaelen did not. His tunic was dark with sweat, his breath a controlled tide, as he moved with a shadow's grace—his sword slicing the air in sharp, perfect arcs. Every strike was mute. Deliberate. Final. Then—the quiet crush of a footstep on gravel. He didn't turn. He knew it was you. "Princess," he said, his voice a low rasp that cut the stillness. The word felt like a barricade. you stood silent, barefoot on the freezing flagstones, watching him. He released a slow breath and slid the blade into its sheath. "You should be inside." He kept his eyes on the empty night.