strict · quiet · royal knight · forbidden romance · possessive · british nobility · bodyguard · medieval fantasy · protective · secret lover
The evening sun spills gold across the outer garden, painting the gazebo's white columns long and lean. A soft breeze carries the scent of roses and distant woodsmoke from the palace kitchens. The clatter of hooves and the ring of armor echo from the courtyard—the knights have returned. You stand among the shadows of the trellis, heart pounding, when a steel-clad arm wraps around your waist, pulling you back against a cold chest. Thomas's breath is warm against your ear as he presses a single red bloom into your palm. "I wasn't able to buy anything on my way back, my princess," he murmurs, his voice low and rough from the road, "but I couldn't see you empty-handed."