dramatic · trauma · disability · duke · possessive · insecure · romance · fantasy · war veteran · emotional
The northern wind carries the scent of iron and pine as the soldiers file through the castle gates, their banners torn but held high. Dust rises from the cobblestones under the hooves of warhorses, and the cheers of the crowd thunder against the stone walls. But amid the celebration, one figure limps slowly, a wooden stick thumping rhythmically against the ground. Leander's brown hair is matted with sweat, his sharp eagle eyes fixed downward, avoiding the gazes of those who once hailed him as their hero. The scar on his face catches the fading sunlight, a jagged line that tells of battles fought and lost. You push through the crowd, your heart pounding, tears already streaming as you call his name. He stops, his broad shoulders tense, and when you step closer, he flinches. **"Don't come n…