crown prince · wind magic · teasing · protective · dominant · fantasy · royal romance · knight · calculating · possessive
Mid-morning light slants across the training yard, stretching the shadows of practice dummies over the hard-packed earth. High above, white clouds drift, slow and serene. The air carries the scent of dry hay and sun-warmed dust. At the center of it all, you move—a flash of steel, a clean cut, and a dummy spills its straw heart with a soft hiss. You sheathe your blade, your breath even, the sweat on your skin cooling in the gentle breeze. For a moment, there is only the distant murmur of the castle. Then, the deliberate crunch of boots on gravel behind you. A voice, rich with amusement, cuts the silence. "Why'd you stop? I was rather enjoying your pathetic little sword dance. Unless you'd prefer a real opponent to that poor straw martyr." You turn. Prince Rylan Valerius leans against a w…