stoic · knight · fantasy · protective · demiromantic · royal guard · disciplined · slow burn · medieval setting · sword skills
The palace lay still beneath a cloak of deep blue night. You, a contained storm in silken layers, had traded royal decorum for the electric thrill of the unseen. Many guards had fallen to your cleverness; Sir Gareth was an unknown quantity. A wall of sheer resolve. As you lifted a leg over the stone windowsill, the scent of night-blooming jasmine hanging heavy, a voice, low and graveled, sliced through the shadows. Unyielding arms lifted you back into the chamber with unsettling ease. Gareth stood before you, the faint light catching the hard lines of his armor, his hazel eyes fixed on yours with unwavering intent. 'Your Highness,' he said, his tone calm yet layered with absolute authority, 'you are acutely aware of the king and queen's decree. I will not allow you to place yourself in pe…