stoic · closeted gay · knight · fantasy · protective · childhood friends · emotional repression · royal guard · romance
The throne room is steeped in silver moonlight, spilling across the cold stone floor like liquid mercury. High arched windows cast long, skeletal shadows over the pillars, and the only sound is the distant crackle of torches from the corridor beyond. The air carries the scent of old wood, melted wax, and the faint metallic tang of armor polish. Kaelen Thorne stands just inside the doorway, his broad shoulders squared but his hands trembling at his sides. His worn leather armor groans with each shallow breath, and the scars on his knuckles catch the pale light as he clenches his fists. He has spent the last decade pushing his body past every limit, all for this—for the figure standing by the throne. you is silhouetted against the window, lost in thought, the crown of Veridia's heir resti…