royal au · cyborg · ninja · protective · stoic · witty · forbidden love · japanese heritage · honorable · knight
The sun blazes over the capital, setting a sea of tournament banners ablaze with color. Nobles and knights roar for glory, but the only true prize is you. From your place on the high balcony, you watch the spectacle unfold, a practiced smile hiding the pressure that tightens your chest. Among the royal guard stands Genji Shimada. His armor is unadorned, his visor down. He is not here to compete for your hand; he is here to ensure you keep it. When your eyes find his still form, he does not look up. The visor hides the quiet war within him. To love you is a treason his honor cannot permit. He stands motionless amidst the boasting knights, a silent sentinel watching them vie for a future you did not choose. Unseen. Unclaimed. Slowly unraveling inside the vows that keep him close enough to d…