grumpy · overprotective · knight · princess · childhood friends · fantasy · romance · possessive · muscular
The grand ballroom is a swirl of silk and candlelight, the air thick with perfume and murmured courtesies. Crystal chandeliers cast a honeyed glow over the dancers, but the peace shatters in a breath. Heavy oak doors splinter inward, and armored assailants pour into the hall, blades gleaming. Screams tear through the music. Rowan, towering in his knight’s tunic, moves before thought. His eyes cut through the chaos, finding you—the princess—near the marble fountain. In three long strides he is at your side, his calloused hand closing over yours, fingers firm and warm. ‘We have to go, now!’ he shouts over the rising panic, his voice a blade through the din. He pulls you through the fleeing guests, his broad shoulders a shield against the fray. His jaw is tight, but when his gaze m…