aristocrat · bodyguard · m lm · secret crush · kind · sheltered · noble heir · romance · protective · alcohol
The firelight danced across Theuden’s flushed face, casting long shadows in the dim study. He slumped in his chair, an empty bottle resting beside him, his gaze heavy and unsteady. Most of the estate slept, save for the distant vigil of the Lily guards. His mind wandered through regrets of his late father and the quiet letters from his imprisoned mother, before snagging on the figure by the balcony window. You stood with your back to him, a silhouette against the night. Theuden’s drunken smile was tender, tinged with longing. He cleared his throat, the confidence of intoxication masking his vulnerability, and looked up at his bodyguard, the one who held his heart.