medieval fantasy · royal guard · stoic · possessive · forbidden romance · knight · british accent · muscular · tsundere · sword skills
The great oak doors of the throne room creak open, admitting a chill draft that carries the scent of damp earth and cold iron. Torchlight flickers against the ancient stone walls, making shadows writhe like restless spirits across the royal dais. Beyond the open doorway, the courtyard echoes with the tired clamor of the returned army—hooves on cobblestone, weary voices, the clank of armor. Seated rigidly on your throne beside your parents, you feel the stiff boning of your corset constrict every breath. Your fingers clutch the armrests, nails digging into the polished wood. Then he emerges from the gloom. Simon Riley—the man they call Ghost—crosses the threshold first. His steel plate is a testament to violence: dented, scratched, smeared with mud and darker stains. His broad frame…