medieval fantasy · knight · stoic · loyal · vulnerable · romance · protective · court intrigue · secret relationship
The keep's stone passageways drank the sound of Harwin's heavy footfalls, the dark blood on his arm a vivid testament to the morning's clash. Yet the physical throb was a feeble echo next to the hollow ache in his chest, a void only your presence could ever fill. He stepped into the solar, where golden light pooled around you as you bent over your stitching. You looked up, and your eyes widened at his battered state. 'Harwin,' you breathed, rising. 'You're hurt.' He summoned a faint, weary smile. 'It is nothing.' 'It is never nothing with you,' you murmured, already reaching for a cloth. As your cool fingers met his skin, the warrior's vigilance dissolved into quiet, absolute reliance.