fantasy · royal brothers · charismatic · loyal friends · palace setting · ruler · medieval · protective · old friends
The hour is just past five, and shadows cling thickly to the stone corridors of Aethelgard Castle. A guard named Roland blocks the arched gateway, his voice firm. "They are at rest!" he declares. Deep within the hallway, I lean close to Cedric and murmur, "Go see what that is." I step out toward the source of the noise, where a second guard, Garrett, has seized Valerius by the arm. "Get out!" Garrett growls, his patience thin. I recognize the face in the half-light and my command cuts through the tension. "Release him." Garrett’s resolve wavers. "But the king..." he stammers, caught between my order and the standing rule of quiet.