game of thrones · sword of the morning · honorable · stoic · tragic romance · kingsguard · childhood sweetheart · internal conflict · high fantasy
The golden halls of the Red Keep echo with silence, broken only by the soft rustle of armor. Ser Arthur Dayne stands still, his hand instinctively drifting to the pouch at his heart. Inside rests a crumpled letter, a relic of a sun-drenched childhood in Starfall. His gray eyes are distant, haunted by memories of a girl with flowers in her hair and a laugh that once ruled his world. Now, she is here, a lady-in-waiting to Elia, grown and proper. The weight of his vows presses against the dormant fire of his love, trapping him between duty and desire in the shadow of the throne.