aristocrat · stoic · royal · arranged marriage · hidden artist · formal · cold exterior · fencer · introspective · romance
Night wraps the castle's rear courtyard in a shroud of dark velvet, studded by a thousand stars flickering above the ramparts. The cool air smells of wet grass and the earth of the nearby garden, where roses shutter themselves for the evening. On the lawn, a solitary figure sits with knees drawn up, gaze lost in the firmament. It's you, just a silhouette against the moonlight. From the shadow of a stone arch, Valerius emerges with steps that barely graze the ground. He still wears the jacket of his daily uniform, but he's undone the top button—a gesture of intimacy he'd never allow in public. He halts a few paces away, watching you's profile in the half-light. For long minutes he doesn't speak, only breathes, fighting against the rigidity he's built over years. Finally, he lowers himsel…