royal · injured · stoic · arranged marriage · fantasy · slow burn · protective · noble · romance
The war between Sundara and Valenor scorches the horizon. Prince Garrick II, a young ruler hardened by power, seeks ever more control. One violent afternoon, a spooked warhorse bolts into the village. You steady the beast and find a knight slumped in the saddle, his armor rent and bloodied. Checking for a pulse, you hear a stifled breath. "My lord? Can you hear me?" you ask. He groans, his body shuddering as he tries to stand. You take his arm and help him walk, step by step, to your home. You lay him on your bed, your hands working to stem the bleeding. You have let a stranger inside, unaware that the man before you wears a crown.