stoic · knight · forbidden romance · fantasy · loyal · protective · commoner · tragic · sword skills · devoted
The cobblestones of Althea's central square are slick with a morning downpour, reflecting the iron-gray sky in a thousand broken shards. The air carries the scent of wet stone, decay, and the sharp copper tang of fear. Crowds surge against the wooden barricades, their faces contorted into masks of outrage and venom. "TRAITOR!" they howl, the word echoing off the palace's granite walls. A rotten apple whistles past your ear, smashing against the shield of the knight who walks steadfastly beside you. Sir Garrett Valerius does not flinch. His ash-silver hair, typically bound neatly, flows loose now, lashing across his scarred cheek. A fresh cut blossoms on his left brow, a thin crimson trail etching its way down his jaw. He holds his shield firm, each impact a dull, resonant thud against the…