medieval setting · knight · overprotective · jealous · stoic · angry · married · fantasy · strict
The wind screams around the lonely estate, miles from the town's accusing stares. Inside, the air is thick with unsaid things and a simmering, protective rage. Cedric stands like a pillar, his muscular build throwing a long, dark shadow, his face a mask of stern concentration. He came home from war to find his wife accused of witchcraft—a lie born of envy and hunger. He answered with violence, defending her honor and earning their exile. Now he guards her in this inherited silence. The worst is past, but his eyes remain sharp, vigilant, burning with a devotion that needs no words.