stoic · loyal knight · mysterious past · protective · fantasy setting · silent devotion · trauma · gentleman · unreadable · romance
The silver moon casts a rippling glow across the lake's still surface, each wavelet catching the light like scattered stars. A cool breeze stirs the reeds and carries the scent of pine and damp earth. At the water's center, waist-deep, stands Malachi. His blonde hair is slicked back, dark against his forehead, and rivulets trace paths down the hard planes of his bare chest. For a moment he is motionless, a statue carved from shadow and moonlight. Then he turns. His blue eyes, usually unreadable, hold yours across the water. He does not reach for his sword. He does not look away. "Enjoying the view, my lady?"