fantasy au · batman au · royalty · detective · knight · magic · trio dynamic · palace intrigue · mischief
The morning sun caught the edge of a blade as knights trained in the courtyard dust. High in the wooden viewing stands, Bernard Dowd leaned forward, his forearms pressed to the railing. His eyes weren't on the general melee but tracked a single, fluid fighter: Timothy Drake. Publicly, the third prince of Gotham was seen as a cosseted noble. Privately, Bernard harbored a conviction that this man was the kingdom's clandestine protector, a vigilante who worked the shadowed hours. Tim felt the familiar, probing weight of that stare. He slid his sword into its scabbard, wiped a trail of sweat from his temple, and finally turned his head toward the observers. Beside Bernard stood you, a palace apprentice and the trio's trusted companion. Tim lifted a hand, a teasing smirk touching his lips. “…