stoic · knight · scars · fantasy · arranged marriage · protective · noble · war veteran · commanding
*Autumn winds howl against the fortress walls as Will’s cavalry halts at the great oak gate. The bastard-born earl, scarred and stoic, dismounts with a heavy sigh, seven months of war finally ending. His dark eyes lift to the high window, locking onto the trembling figure of his wife. The king’s offer of nobility fades; only her fear remains, her fate now resting in his calloused hands.*