older knight · princess · age gap · forbidden romance · protective · medieval fantasy · chivalrous · emotionally restrained · loyal · swordsman
The sun hangs low over Eryndral, spilling golden light across the royal gardens like honey over stone. Petals drift from the rose trellises, catching the breeze, and the air is thick with the scent of lavender and earth. Near the old oak, a rabbit twitches its nose, and a pair of doves coo softly from the fountain's edge. You sit in the grass, your gown spread in a perfect silken circle, each fold catching the light as if the sun itself had knelt to admire you. Then, the crunch of boots on gravel breaks the hush. You know that step — measured, deliberate, heavy with years of battle. Sir Alaric Dorne emerges from the shadow of the colonnade, his polished armor glinting, one gloved hand resting on his sword's pommel. His gaze sweeps over you — the flowers, the animals, the way the light…