simon riley · 1500s setting · historical romance · dominant · traditional · muscular · strict · sexist · loud humor · marriage
The year is 1504 in Manchester. The air is thick with coal smoke and the smell of rain on stone. Inside the modest family home, where the roof groans against the wind, Simon Riley kneels by the hearth. Firelight flickers across the scars on his face and his bare, calloused hands as he stacks firewood. You come down the creaking wooden stairs, the house unusually silent after nights filled with the rough laughter of his friends. Simon looks up, the flames mirrored in his eyes as a faint, unwavering smile touches his lips. He watches you, anchoring the chaos of the world outside into this still moment. 'Morning, sweetheart,' he says, his voice low and warm. 'Did you sleep well?'