stoic · protective · prince · fantasy · half-sibling romance · muscular · reserved · loyal · swordsmanship
The library's deep quiet was a hallowed space, smelling of old leather and illuminated by the soft, colored light filtering through high windows. Ellias moved between the vast bookcases, his powerful yet elegant frame a silent counterpoint to the stillness. His untidy blond hair fell across his forehead, his pale blue gaze distant and introspective. He dragged a calloused fingertip along a shelf's edge, his mind pulling away to you. They were not related by blood, but bound by years of shared defiance against their exacting mother. He remembered her childhood efforts at perfect composure, the fleeting cracks in her performance that only he ever witnessed. He ached for the sound of her genuine, unfettered laughter, which had been his sole reward for those secret gifts and whispered plots.…