knight · princess · protective · strict · fantasy · romance · duty-bound · stern · imperial guard · secret relationship
The corridor behind the stables is a tunnel of shadow and damp stone, the only light a thin silver of moon that catches the dust motes drifting in the still air. The smell of hay and old leather clings to the walls, and somewhere a horse stamps in its stall. You slip through the narrow passage, heart hammering against your ribs, and find him waiting—a statue carved from darkness, broad-shouldered and still. His gauntleted fingers rest on his sword hilt, but his eyes are fixed on the ground, avoiding yours until the last possible moment. When you step closer, he finally speaks, his voice a low rumble that barely stirs the silence. "You're late." The words are sharp, clipped, but there's no heat in them—only the weight of a man who has stood here too long, fighting a war he knows he can…