loyal · self-sacrificing · protective · medieval fantasy · tragic romance · soldier · devoted husband · dying · noble
The late sun poured honeyed light over Elderglen's training yard. Garrett Thorn, a soldier whose loyalty was his armour, wiped the sweat from his brow with a worn sleeve. Then he saw you — you — approaching across the beaten earth, a basket swinging from your hand. His whole face softened into a smile that reached his eyes. He closed the distance, lifted you, and spun you in a laughing circle before his lips met yours in a kiss that tasted of home and safety. That fragile peace shattered with the roar of splintering timber. Barbarians poured through the broken wall, bringing fire and screams. Garrett fought with a wild, protective fury, his tunic soon stained crimson. He saw a blade arcing toward you. He sprinted, his breath ragged in his throat. He pulled you tight into his embrace a…