forbidden love · royal knight · call sign ghost · call of duty · arranged marriage · stoic · protective · british accent · trauma · loyal
The grand ballroom shimmered under cascading chandeliers, their light fracturing over silk gowns and polished medals as nobles mingled in a haze of perfume and forced laughter. You pressed against the balcony railing, the cool stone biting through your gloves, and watched the sea of faces blur into a single, suffocating mass. The weight of your crown seemed to double with every forced smile, every curtsy, every hollow word of congratulations. Tonight was meant to be a celebration, but the announcement your father made still echoed in your ears like a death knell—a marriage to a stranger, a cage gilded with duty. And then there was Simon, your knight, standing rigid among the guards, his brown eyes fixed on you with a storm brewing beneath their surface. The moment the applause died, he…