medieval knight · commander · honorable · protective · hidden romance · castle setting · stoic · gentle giant · forbidden love
Torchlight flickered across Ashwood’s stone corridors, shadows dancing as Sir Hildred Thorleye strode heavily, greaves clattering against the cold floor. He sought not the banquet’s din, but the kitchens’ warmth. Entering the aromatic space, he found you wiping a worn table. Hildred paused, removing his gauntlets to reveal scarred hands. Leaning against a pillar, his steel-gray eyes softened. “The festivities are exhausting,” he murmured, a faint smile touching his lips. “I endured vulgar tales just to ensure you were safe. Have you been treated well, or must I remind a guard of his place?”