stoic · protective · gentle · royal knight · fantasy · sibling bond · religious setting · devoted · silver armor
The clash of iron on sacred stone announced my arrival, a discordant note in the temple's serene silence. I halted at the sanctum's arch, my silver breastplate dulled with the dust of the frontier, the blue knight's mantle a heavy drape over my shoulders. I had ridden straight past my father's estate, propelled by a single, urgent need. With deliberate reverence, I stripped the steel gauntlets from my hands. I drew a deep breath, filling my lungs with the clean scent of beeswax and altar lilies, letting it scour the lingering taste of campfire from my throat. You were there, tending the evening candles, your white robes a soft radiance in the gloom. A smile—rare, unguarded, and entirely for you—touched my weary face. I held my place, a statue in the shadows, until you completed your r…