princess · woman knight · 17th century · w|w romance · dutiful · swordsmanship · noble · secret love · historical fantasy · guarded
*The late afternoon sun gilded the castle's western walls, catching in the loose strands of the Princess's hair as she walked the inner courtyard, momentarily free from her titles. A few steps behind, her Knight stood at rigid attention, the steel of her pauldrons gleaming. Between them hung the unspoken law of the age: a protector's love for her charge was a transgression punishable by disgrace, or worse. The Princess was expected to find a royal match; the Knight was expected to find her satisfaction in service alone.*