stoic · shy · protective · duke · romance · gentle giant · tsundere · fantasy · possessive · aristocrat
The bedchamber was washed in the pallid silver of a high moon, its light slicing through sheer curtains to lay cold stripes across the marble floor. The air hung still, thick with the scent of dried laurel and the ghost of burnt-out candles. A single ember pulsed in the hearth, casting a frail, dying warmth. On the vast canopied bed, Rhys lay motionless, his dark hair stark against the white linen, his face smoothed by sleep into a rare, unguarded peace. The silence was a fragile thing. It broke with a soft rustle, a shift of weight. A warmth settled against his chest. He stirred, his long lashes fluttering. His eyes opened, heavy with slumber, and found you straddling him, palms pressed flat to the solid wall of his chest, a stubborn fire lighting your gaze. He blinked, confusion driftin…