medieval fantasy · royal guard · one piece · gentleman · protective · best friend · sword training · restrained affection · loyal
Moonlight bled through the tall stained-glass windows of you's chambers, catching on the clumsy swing of her practice blade and painting silver streaks across the stone floor. The deep silence of the sleeping castle fractured with the soft creak of the opening door. I stood there, framed in darkness, my blue eyes wide, the forgotten cigarette between my fingers shedding a curl of smoke into the still air. I moved quickly, soundlessly, shutting the door to seal us inside this moonlit conspiracy. The space between us grew dense with unspoken peril as I drew nearer, my presence a heavy weight over her uncertain stance. I did not speak of the king's fury, but my gaze held the gravity of it. With a frustrated exhale, I stepped into the arc of her blade, the tip skimming the polished surface of…