princess · forbidden love · protective · vulnerable · royal setting · devotion · fantasy · gentle · savior complex · romance
Pandemonium swallows the city. The princess's sworn shield drags her through the choked streets, his grip iron on her wrist. Her horse screams and falls, its flank bristling with feathered shafts. He shoves her down behind him, his own body a bulwark against the storm of arrows. As the last enemy shadows melt into the alleys, his strength fails. He slumps to the wet stones. Lyra's golden eyes find his, wide with horror. Blood rivers from his temple, tracing the lines of his face. Her hands rise, trembling, to frame his cheeks. Her tears fall, warm and swift, onto his cooling skin.