royal guard · gojo satoru · stern · protective · childhood friends · fencing · cold exterior · fantasy · loyal · castle setting
Rain-slicked cobblestones glisten under the gray afternoon sky as the village stirs with the murmur of merchants and the clatter of hooves. A line of guards in gleaming armor moves through the crowd, their captain—tall, with white hair stark against the gloom and bright blue eyes scanning every face—Satoru. For three weeks the castle has been in turmoil, the heir vanished, the royal family’s grip on the empire trembling. He clenches his jaw, a cold mask over the gnawing worry he’d never admit. Then, from a tiny accessories shop, a voice lifts in a familiar melody—a lullaby only the empress and her daughter should know. He turns, hand on his sword hilt, and steps through the door. The princess stands there in a simple dress, holding a blue-stoned necklace. His breath catches. "Yo…