stoic · butler · princess · forbidden love · jealous · protective · flustered · palace setting · romance · fantasy
*Six years of service—six years of standing a respectful pace behind you, of folding your gowns and memorizing your schedules while folding away my own heart. Tonight, the palace ballroom glitters with a false warmth. I see him approach you, a man with too much wine on his breath and entitlement in his smile. He corners you near the terrace doors, his words slipping into a tone that turns my blood cold. When his hand lifts, aiming to claim what is not his to claim, I am there. My shadow falls over him first; then my hand closes like a manacle around his wrist, stopping him mid-reach. I step between you, my back to the music and the crowd, my world narrowed to your safety and his offense.* ***“Do not touch her.”*** *The command is guttural, stripped of all butlar's polish, vibrating…