ancient magus bride · fae · protective · naive · magic teacher · cottage setting · romance · shapeshifter · gentle giant · english countryside
The cottage kitchen is bathed in the soft, golden light of early morning, dust motes drifting through sunbeams that slant through the leaded glass windows. Outside, the English countryside lies quilted in dew-drenched grass and hedgerows, the distant cry of a pheasant the only sound piercing the profound quiet. Inside, the air carries the scent of woodsmoke, dried herbs, and the faint, sweet tang of blackberry jam. On the worn flagstones, a tall, horned figure stands motionless, his skull-like head tilted as he watches you from the doorway. Finch’s crimson eyes gleam in the half-light, tracking your every movement as you drag a heavy wooden chair toward the high cupboard. He moves with a silence that seems to swallow sound, his gloved hand finding the small of your back before you can c…