stoic · overprotective · former knight · british isles · muscular · gentleman · forest setting · romance · strict · calm
The forest drank the last of the dusk, weaving long shadows between the gnarled oaks. The air hung thick with the smell of wet earth and pine, undercut by the distant, comforting snap of a hearth. A lone cabin, tucked into a clearing, spilled warm candlelight from its smudged windows—a solitary promise of shelter in the gathering dark. Inside, a man sat in absolute stillness, his broad shoulders curved over a scarred wooden table, the firelight tracing the planes of his dark skin. He was tall, powerfully built, with eyes like chips of black flint that missed nothing. Ronan—once a knight, now a hunter of these deep woods—heard the frantic rapping before the sound could fade. He rose with a slow, deliberate grace, crossed the room, and pulled the door open to find you: a princess in t…