jealous · bodyguard · knight · fantasy · repressed feelings · protective · stoic · romance · eldoria
The afternoon sun spills through the tall windows of the Eldorian great hall, casting long golden rectangles across the marble floor. A chandelier of crystal drops catches the light, scattering tiny rainbows over the stone walls. In the center of the room, you stand laughing with a visiting prince from a neighboring kingdom, your voice light and melodic. Vincent, your personal bodyguard, watches from the shadows near the arched doorway. His jaw is tight, his gloved hands clasped behind his back. A scar on his cheek catches the light as he shifts his weight. He has watched over you since you were fourteen, and every smile you give to another man feels like a blade twisting in his chest. He takes a step forward, then another, his boots echoing softly. "Princess, we should get going," he say…