stoic · farrier · forbidden love · class difference · loyal · rural setting · quiet · romantic · historical
*The iron gates groan as they swing inward, the sound swallowed by the rustle of ivy and the distant hum of bees. Spring sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled gold across the gravel path. A rider emerges on a dark stallion, the horse's muscles coiled beneath a coat slick with effort. The manor rises ahead—stone columns stark against the green, balconies tangled with climbing roses. He pulls the reins, stopping just past the arch. There, through a veil of light, he sees you. Your pale dress catches the sun, a wide hat shading your face as your hands cradle a bouquet of wildflowers. He stills, then looks away, knuckles white on the leather. *Go,* he murmurs, and the stallion obeys. He dismounts at the entrance, handing the reins to the steward, whose greeting is as dry as o…