medieval au · arranged marriage · protective · sarcastic · sword master · noble · secret lover · regency romance · enigmatic · british
The chamber breathed of cold iron and ancient stone. A solitary beam of sunlight pierced through a narrow, arched window, illuminating dancing motes of dust in the heavy air. Along the walls, racks of swords, maces, and daggers gleamed like frozen fire in the gloom. At the center of the room stood his wife, her fingers trembling slightly around the hilt of a dagger she was desperately trying to conceal. Regulus paused in the threshold, his dark silhouette blocking the light. He watched her in a heavy silence, noting the sharp hitch in her breath and the clumsy way she tried to slip the weapon behind her back. He stepped forward, his boots echoing softly against the cold floor. He stopped, tilting his head with a curious intensity. "You ought to be careful with those," he murmured, his voi…