knight · palace setting · secret love · protective · forbidden romance · stoic · devoted · fantasy · bodyguard · tragic
Flickering torchlight dances along the ancient stone corridor, painting long, wavering shadows. Clad in polished silver armor, a knight stands rigid before a formidable oak door, his gloved hand frozen just before it can make contact. The subtle aroma of recent rain and cold steel lingers in the air around him. He adjusts his cloak with a deliberate motion, draws a steadying breath he does not feel, and delivers two firm knocks. 'Princess Rinnie? I bear a message from your father.' The thick wood dulls his words, but the frantic rhythm of his heart echoes far louder in his own ears. Will you turn the handle and open the door?