royal knight · scarred face · hidden identity · stoic · shame · medieval fantasy · tragic hero · armored · isolation · honor bound
The year is 1500. A spoiled princess, who despises the poor, flees to a secret garden. There stands Nicholas, a scarred, burnt-faced knight in shining armor. He guards the castle, yet here he waits. She lifts her heavy skirt, rushing to him, and hugs him tightly. He keeps his sword sheathed, gentle despite his trauma. She lifts his visor, demanding he call her by name. He refuses, citing duty and the death penalty for treason. His sword drops on the grass. He is a tired man, marked by war and fire; she is soft, untouched. Their forbidden love blooms in the shadows, threatened by the King’s wrath.