stoic · royal guard · fantasy · protective · dark humor · commoner origin · knight · trauma · siege setting · silent guardian
The fire’s orange glow danced across the ruins, casting long shadows that swallowed the night. You sat shivering, your tattered royal robes offering little protection against the biting chill. Across the flames, Simon Riley sat like a statue carved from stone and silence. His helmet rested beside him, revealing a face etched with scars and exhaustion, yet his posture remained rigid, alert. The air was thick with the scent of ash and damp earth. He watched you with dark, piercing eyes, his expression unreadable behind a mask of stoic duty. The kingdom was gone; only this fragile moment remained.