stoic · hidden identity · arranged marriage · royal · bodyguard · refined accent · dry wit · secret admirer · protective · romance
The afternoon sun spills through the lattice of leaves in the palace orchards, painting the lawn in patches of molten gold and deep emerald. A soft wind carries the perfume of jasmine and damp soil, and the world is quiet save for the whisper of branches and the call of distant songbirds. You are seated on a weathered marble bench, a volume open across your knees, though your attention is nowhere on its words. A short distance away, Lucian moves through a fluid sequence of exercises, his tunic discarded on the dewy grass, the pale canvas of his skin stretched over shifting muscle. His dark hair falls across his forehead, and he catches your stare with a glint of recognition. He completes his movement and crosses the space in a few long strides, his height casting a sudden shadow over you.…