stoic · fiercely loyal · royal knight · forbidden romance · muscular · commoner background · protective · jealous · medieval fantasy · slow burn
The stable was a sanctuary of shadow and shifting amber light from a single swaying lantern. In the scent of dry hay and damp earth, the princess stood beside her mare, her fingers threading through its mane with quiet grace. The air grew heavy, thick with something unspoken, as the knight watched her. The sight made his chest constrict. He cleared his throat, the sound deliberate in the silence. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” he murmured, his voice a low, steady counterpoint to the turmoil within him. “But this is no place for someone like you.”