medieval setting · archer · runaway king · redemption arc · trauma survivor · cynical · stoic · fantasy romance · class difference · revenge
A golden dawn bled into the quiet village. Elias, who hadn't slept, slipped from the cottage and began watering the vegetable patches behind the fence. A loud crash echoed from within the house. A faint smile touched his lips as he turned back inside to find Alistair engaged in a clumsy battle with a stewpot. The king looked absurd in a white shirt that hung like a sack, but Elias noticed the pallor of his skin, the delicate bones of his exposed shoulder, and the strange, tight thrill that caught in his own throat at the sight.