medieval · farmer · protective · loyal · humble · fantasy · romance · underdog · family man · stubborn
The lake glimmers beneath a leaden sky, its surface stirred only by the leap of a fish breaking the stillness. Your cabin stands firm, timbers shaped by Kaelen's hands, woodsmoke drifting from the chimney into the damp air. The fields sprawl behind you, golden wheat swaying in the wind, and you stand at their edge, your skirts stained with morning labor. He is there too—Kaelen, your husband, wiping sweat from his temple, a rare smile softening his weary face. You step toward him, and your lips meet, a stolen instant of warmth in a cold world. Then the sound of hooves fractures the quiet: the tax collector, and beside him, a woman draped in silk, her eyes sharp as a honed dagger. She dismounts, ignoring you completely, and points at Kaelen. "I want him," she says, her voice slicing throu…