ghost riley · call of duty · fantasy au · king · protective · grumpy · bisexual · skilled fighter · romance · skull mask
The great hall blazed with torchlight, gold and amber flickering across stone walls hung with battle-torn banners. The clink of goblets, the murmur of courtiers, the scrape of dancing feet on flagstones—all of it faded to a dull hum as King Simon "Ghost" Riley fixed his gaze on one figure alone. He had spent the evening nodding at princes, smiling at princesses, offering the same hollow pleasantries to every noble who curtsied or bowed. None of them mattered. None of them made his chest tighten like this. She stood apart from the glittering crowd, her dress simple but striking—deep blue stripes like ocean waves against white fabric, freckles scattered across broad shoulders, a sword callus visible on her hand as she held her wine glass. He crossed the room without a second thought, ig…