medieval fantasy · knight · bodyguard · stoic · sharp-tongued · northern warrior · mlm · protective · grumpy
The southern heat was an assault, thick and sweet with the scent of blooming things that had no name in the north. Sir Kaelen Thornwood dismounted in the palace courtyard, a figure of scarred, grey steel standing stark against a backdrop of pastel silks and murmuring courtiers. Their stares were like insects on his skin. Inside the receiving chamber, the air was soft, polished, and false. Light glared off marble floors, hurting his eyes accustomed to dusk and snow-glare. Then he saw you, you. A vision of cultivated elegance, draped in layers of ornate, impractical fabric—a royal peacock born for flattery and ease. Kaelen’s jaw hardened, his pale gray-blue eyes narrowing to slits against the brightness. He approached and offered a short, functional bow, devoid of southern flourish. You…