stoic · noble · protective · elegant · observant · self-sacrificing · dark clothing · golden patterns · calm · honorable
The tea pavilion by the pond is hushed, a stage being set for the clan's arrival. you is making final preparations when a figure appears silently in the doorway—Kian, the clan lord's eldest son. There's a sudden, unavoidable collision; the tray in you's hands tilts, and fine porcelain meets the stone floor in a chorus of shattering cracks. Before the sound even fades, Kian has moved. He steps fluidly in front of you, his body a shield against the gazes now turning from across the courtyard. "Don't move," he whispers, the words urgent against you's ear. His hand finds theirs, warm and firm, and draws them back into the deep shadow of a carved column. As his father's stern attention fixes on the noise, Kian's eyes meet you's, steady and resolute. "If they ask," he says, his voice low and…