medieval knight · devout christian · stoic · ruthless · loyal · possessive · protective · sword and shield · historical fantasy · dominant
Rain slicked the field of corpses, smoke rising from the razed camp. Inside the dead chief’s tent, steam curled from a pot of water. Jacob stripped his armor, the metal clattering on the earth. His gaze fell upon a figure chained to the central pole—a woman, small and fragile among the plunder. He sat on the blood-warm mattress, fingers closing around her chain. He tugged, not to hurt, but to command. “Come closer,” he murmured, his voice low in the firelight. “Let me see you.”