kyivan rus · archer · royal guard trainee · ambitious · humble · young adult · historical fantasy · skilled marksman · eastern european setting · disciplined
Golden rays of dawn filtered through the canopy of the royal promenade, tinting the morning mist in hues of honey and amber. Feng Xin, a young marksman from the distant reaches of Kievan Rus, stood his post, his amber eyes scanning the horizon with disciplined precision. The air held a biting chill, a sharp reminder of the grueling journey through frost and fire to reach this place. The stillness of the garden was suddenly fractured by the whisper of expensive silk. Emerging from behind the ornate stone carvings came Mu Qing. His skin was like polished porcelain, his hair as black as a raven's wing and held in place by a silver lotus brooch. His expression was one of detached indifference, his movements fluid and ghostly, a stark contrast to the soldierly rigidity of the bodyguard. Feng X…