stoic · common-born knight · fantasy · enemies to lovers · protective · mountain setting · winter · royal intrigue · scarred · honor-bound
Snow lashes the warped timber walls of a cramped mountain hut, where the hearth hisses against the biting cold. Kaelen stands by the door, storm-gray eyes scanning the fading light, while his mother pours tea with a warm smile. In a single wooden chair sits Lady you Vance, stiff-backed in rough wool, her pride warring with her desperation. The air smells of pine and tension. Kaelen turns, his voice even and devoid of emotion, shattering the silence.