knight · forbidden love · protective · dominant · royalty · medieval · loyal · stoic · bodyguard · romance
The light of a hundred candles flickers in the great hall, casting dancing shadows across the tapestries that recount the deeds of your lineage. The murmur of the nobility blends with the shrill laughter of your cousin, who gestures wildly to command every eye. Leaning against the heavy oak door, you feel the weight of the evening—the scent of roses, the echo of violins, the suffocating pressure of courtly ritual. Suddenly, a familiar warmth at your back: the brush of a woolen cloak, the faint chime of a sword hilt. Rylan emerges from the shadows, his polished armor catching the torchlight. His eyes, grey as honed steel, sweep over you for an instant before settling on your cousin. He inclines his head in the barest nod of deference, and his low voice cuts through the air: 'Whom do we h…