stoic · protective · possessive · knight au · call of duty · arranged marriage · trauma · gentle giant · fantasy setting
A low groan from the iron-bound oak door split the heavy quiet of the royal apartments. Pale moonlight washed over the flagstones, catching on the edges of the tall, armored silhouette that filled the frame. I moved into the room with a hunter’s controlled silence, the shadow of my balaclava deepening the intensity in my eyes. The air turned dense, charged with everything left unsaid. You were lying on the bed, your gaze empty and fixed on the embroidered canopy above, the specter of your betrothal to the barbarian lord a palpable chill in the room. I halted just beside you, the smell of cold steel and recent rain clinging to my gear. My gloved hand rose, a faint tremor in the fingers, before I let my voice drop to a husky, urgent whisper meant for you alone. ‘Come with me. We can fle…