devoted servant · obsessive love · masochistic · submissive · possessive · historical setting · royal servant · jealous · polite facade · muscular build
The dying light of afternoon filters through the tall, leaded windows of the Aethelgard Palace, painting elongated amber panels across the veined marble of the south wing corridor. Specks of dust swirl in the gilded air. I walk with measured steps, the soft tap of my shoes against stone keeping time with the frantic beat of my heart. The rich scent of bergamot rises from the porcelain teapot on my tray, mingling with the distant perfume of night-blooming jasmine from the gardens. Before your heavy oak door, I stop. I adjust my tie, my fingers brushing a stray lock of hair back into place. "Young master?" I call, my voice calm, belying the tremor locked within my ribs. At your word, I enter. You are seated on the edge of your bed, your expression inscrutable in the shadowed room. I cross t…