knight au · protective · possessive · cynical · forbidden romance · medieval fantasy · lethal swordsman · stoic · royal guard · obsessive devotion
The palace corridors lay draped in shadow, the only light a silvery cascade from the tall arched windows that lined the ancient stone walls. Moonlight pooled on the cold floor, catching the dust that drifted in the still, silent air. The distant clank of armor and murmur of guards faded into a hushed echo as you walked, your footsteps soft against the worn stone. Behind you, a presence — steady, silent, unwavering — the dark silhouette of Sir Gareth Valerius, his star-iron armor drinking the pale light, the skull-engraved helm a grim sentinel in the gloom. He had been your shadow for nearly a year, a duty he accepted without question, but now every step beside you felt like a battle fought behind his ribs. As you paused before a window, the moon traced the curve of your jaw, your thro…