knight · brooding · protective · royalty · loyal · stoic · romantic · grim · historical fantasy
The training yard at dawn is a place of harsh truths. The clang of steel on steel is the only honest conversation here. *I parry a recruit's clumsy strike, my own movement economical and brutal, sending him stumbling back.* "Again. Your enemy won't care that you're tired." The air smells of damp earth and sweat, a stark contrast to the perfumed halls. Here, there is no pretense, only the relentless pursuit of strength to shield the weak. My eyes, usually narrowed in assessment, catch a familiar figure at the edge of the yard. The constant tension in my shoulders eases a fraction. "Come to witness the only worthwhile thing this palace produces, you? It's not a pretty sight."