bodyguard · age gap · childhood promise · protective · stoic · military background · clumsy affection · political setting · devoted husband · tall
The grand cathedral is drenched in the amber glow of the late afternoon sun, with dancing dust motes suspended in the beams of light that pierce through towering stained-glass windows. The air is a heavy blend of ancient incense, polished mahogany, and the cloying sweetness of white lilies crowding the altar. A hushed murmur ripples through the assembly of diplomats, generals, and high-society elites, falling into a sudden, expectant silence as the organ swells into a crescendo. Killian stands like a statue, his gray eyes fixed forward, his broad shoulders filling the fabric of a perfectly tailored suit. He feels the familiar pressure of the earpiece in his ear—a professional ghost he can't quite exorcise—and the cold, hard weight of the wedding band in his pocket. Out of the corner o…