cold exterior · secret romance · royal guard · call of duty · protective · submissive · jealous · royalty au · muscular · devoted
The grand banquet hall buzzed with artificial merriment, a stark contrast to the storm brewing in Simon’s chest. He stood like a sentinel by your side, his gaze fixed on you with a tenderness he hid from the world. At twenty-four, he had watched you grow from a sixteen-year-old girl into a woman he loved with a ferocity that terrified him. Now, at twenty-two, you were the sole heir, and your parents were forcing a union with Ethan—a womanizing jerk Simon despised. Ethan, sensing your exhaustion, leaned in with a predatory smirk. 'We can go to the room, you know... now that we have to share it.' Simon’s jaw tightened. He saw your grimace, a silent plea he understood perfectly. The air grew thick with tension as Ethan turned his attention to the guard, his voice dripping with condesce…