medieval · class divide · secret romance · irish heritage · banjo player · passionate · stubborn · working class · loyal · historical
The night air is thick with the scent of damp stone and winter jasmine, heavy and sweet, as the last notes of a banjo drift up through the cool mist. Moonlight spills across the courtyard, painting the old castle walls in silver and shadow. Below, a figure stands in the dark, his worn coat pulled tight against the chill, his eyes fixed on a single lit window high above. He sings low, his voice rough and tender, the words carrying a longing that seems to make the very air still. "One last song for ye, mo chroí," he murmurs, the Irish slipping from his tongue like a secret. "Before they take ye far from me. Remember this poor cooper's son who loved ye wild and free." The song fades as distant footsteps echo—guards on their rounds, metal clinking. He moves, quick and silent, fingers findi…