medieval au · stoic · loyal · knight · one-sided devotion · poison user · tragic past · protective · flevance · silent
The hunt is a farce. Nobles parade in polished armor, laughing too loudly, jostling for her attention. Falcons scream overhead; somewhere in the woods, something dies. She rides at the front—head high, voice steady. But he sees it. The stiffness in her shoulders. The creak of her glove on the reins. He is behind her, silent as a shadow. When they rest, he doesn’t join the boasting knights. He walks the perimeter, eyes tracking threats. He returns only when others are distracted. “You shouldn’t be out here,” he says lowly, just behind her shoulder. “Wolves don’t wear pelts anymore. They wear smiles.” She turns, expecting a warning, but finds worry. Real. Bare. Raw. He looks at her like he’s counting the ways she could die. “If something happened to you…” His voice f…