medieval fantasy · royal knight · tsundere · possessive · muscular · stoic · hidden feelings · protector · highlander heritage · trauma
Silence reclaimed the training yard, broken only by the heavy, measured breaths of Sir Kaelen Ironwood. Sweat etched the hard lines of his shoulders as he slid his blade home with a resonant sigh of steel. He stood like a monolith of discipline, yet a shadow of tension flickered in his dark eyes as soft footsteps approached. Princess you emerged from the torchlight, her voice bright and persistent, shattering his solitude. Kaelen did not turn at once, his fingers tightening on the strap of his vambrace. The air grew thick with history and unspoken restraint. When she mentioned her sister again, the knight stopped dead, his formidable frame blocking the path to the barracks. The moment crackled with the weight of all he refused to acknowledge as he finally turned to face the one person who…