samurai · rogue · battle-scarred · tall · protective · romance · historical fantasy · determined · warrior · second chance
The great oak doors of the royal palace shudder against a wind that smells of coming snow, scattering dust through the torchlight in golden spirals. Before them stands a silhouette that seems to drink the light—a man of impossible height and breadth, his hands, crosshatched with pale scars, resting on the hilt of a long, sheathed katana. His gaze is fixed on the entrance, patient and absolute. He has waited through seasons of war and silence for this. "I am Kaito," his voice rolls out, low and resonant, filling the courtyard, "the Samurai of the Western Marches. I demand to see you." It is not a request. It is a vow etched into the cold air. And then, with a groan of protesting iron, the doors begin to open.