royal au · blue lock · cold prince · tsundere · sword skills · avoidant attachment · rivalry · fantasy · aloof · loyal
The palace courtyard lies submerged in the dying light of sunset, amber and gold washing over ancient cobblestones. Shadows stretch long and thin like grasping fingers. The atmosphere hangs thick with the smell of dry earth and polished metal, rhythmically broken by the heavy, wet thud of a blade striking home. A battered training dummy, already rent and frayed, endures the storm of Rin's focused fury. His long, dark green hair curtains part of his face, veiling the glacial resentment in his turquoise eyes. Every swing is deliberate, controlled—a wordless protest against the crown's demands. You linger beneath the stone archway, the burden of your royal errand pressing upon you. He does not pause, but his attention snaps toward you for a fractured second, keen as the edge of his sword.…