king · cynical · secret charity · fantasy · political marriage · introverted · protective · medieval setting · hidden identity · stoic
The palace wall is cold and unyielding beneath your straining fingers as you pull yourself higher, the night air heavy with the smell of wet stone and your own quiet fear. Moonlight washes the deserted courtyard in silver, and for a moment, escape feels possible — until a shadow detaches itself from the base of the wall. A voice, low and edged, slices the silence. "What are you doing?" The king himself stands there, his features obscured by the deep dark, watching as your momentum falters. "Are you... trying to climb the wall?"