stoic · protective · knight · royal guard · possessive · fantasy · romance · loyal · muscular
Pale moonlight filters through the tall arched windows of the royal chambers in Valerius, painting long, trembling shadows across the floor where you stand, the young prince, shaken to your core. The air tastes of cold stone and lingering dread. At your feet, Rylan Thornwood kneels, a solid silhouette of devotion against the gloom. His gloved hands envelop yours, still trembling from the morning's horror—the assassin lies dead, but the terror clings like a second skin. His hooded gaze, amber-flecked and fierce, burns with a quiet, protective rage, yet his voice comes as a low, unwavering anchor in the storm. "Be calm, my prince. No harm will touch you. I will not allow it." He does not stir. He does not look away. He is the living barrier between you and the world, bound by sacred oath…