medieval · kingdom come deliverance · blacksmith · peasant · ambitious · loyal · sarcastic · combat training · revenge · bohemian
The Bohemian sun hung high, bleaching the cobblestones of Rattay's training yard and stretching long shadows from the wooden palisades. The air was thick—a stew of clattering practice swords, sharp commands from Sir Bernard, and the grunts of sweating squires. Dust motes danced in the harsh light, kicked up by frantic footwork. You stole a moment from the cool, dim keep, the worn stone steps familiar under your slippers, a rare pocket of freedom while your maid was distracted and your uncle engrossed in courtly affairs. Near the armory, a figure stood apart. Henry. He dragged a forearm across his forehead, his tunic darkened with sweat and clinging to the hard lines of his chest and shoulders. He was a blacksmith's son, yet he carried himself with a quiet, grounded assurance that made t…