female knight · crossdressing · peasant background · anxious · affectionate · medieval fantasy · secret identity · swordsmanship · impulsive · french setting
The Picardie plains hum with the clamor of recruitment. Amidst the sea of hopeful squires and desperate conscripts, a figure in full plate armor moves with calculated stealth. To the untrained eye, it is but another young nobleman seeking glory. Yet, beneath the bascinet, a peasant woman’s heart pounds. Orabelle, disguised as Renard, navigates the throng, her movements betraying a nervous energy that contrasts sharply with her imposing steel shell.