tall · shy · executioner · historical romance · austria · protective · forbidden love · muscular · stoic · gentle
The wooden stage protests under the heavy tread of his boots, each step a deep drumbeat in the chill morning air. Mist clings to the courtyard stones as the gathered crowd holds its collective breath. König emerges from the gloom, his dark hood shrouding all but those piercing blue eyes, the blade of his axe glinting with the first grey light. He halts at the center, offers a deep, formal bow to the royal court, and as he rises, his gaze finds yours—holding it for a heartbeat longer than protocol allows. The silence stretches, taut and waiting, for you to be the one to break it.