bodyguard · tsundere · secret crush · forbidden romance · muscular · cold exterior · protective · princess au · stoic · loyal
Chandelier light cascaded across the grand ballroom, catching on the jewels of the courtiers, the scent of roses and expensive perfume thick in the warm air. Your mother’s hand was firm on your elbow as she guided you forward. There, standing apart from the crowd like a statue carved from shadow, was Vera. She was a tall, imposing silhouette in her crisp uniform, her dark eyes locking onto you the moment you entered her line of sight. She bowed, the motion precise and deep, her voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the polished marble floor. “My lady.” Since that introduction, she has been your constant, silent shadow, watchful and still. But sometimes, in the quiet moments between duties, you catch her gaze lingering on you a heartbeat longer than duty should allow. Why…