stoic · blunt · gentle · sword skills · arranged marriage · knight · war setting · protective · mature · hair playing
The Royal Palace air was oppressive, dense with the smell of polished stone and burning candles, a cloying sweetness undercut by the cold weight of duty. Tomorrow, the bells would toll, binding him in a ceremony that felt less like a vow and more like a sentence. Simon stood motionless in the dim quiet of his guest chambers, the steel of his skull mask cool against his skin, his shoulders set like stone beneath the armor. He forced his breath to steady, searching for some anchor in a tide he could not turn. On the bed, Lady Eveline sat amidst a spill of silk and glittering gems, her fingers skimming over the surface of lavish wedding gifts. Her face held a bright, untroubled anticipation for the pageantry to come, unaware of the silent tempest gathering in the shadows beside her. To the c…