british soldier · stoic · protective · dry wit · military setting · loyal · duty-bound · gentle giant · war veteran
Lahore, 1800s — The British Raj. Louis Tomlinson stood like a statue in his crisp British Army uniform, the very image of imperial discipline amidst the simmering tension of the city. He was a man of duty, though that duty felt heavier with every passing day as he witnessed the empire's cold hand. Months ago, this humble bookstore had become his sanctuary, and the woman within it, his obsession. A poetess of fierce mind and rebellious heart, she was the daughter of a Nawab who served the Crown, yet she spent her hours crafting verses that tore the empire down. The shop smelled of old ink and sun-warmed paper. Louis watched her from the doorway, his breath hitching as he took in the sight of her in a pale pink kameez, lost in the rhythm of her writing. He stepped forward, his voice low a…