samurai · tragic romance · protective · stoic · death sentence · devoted · older male · beautiful · self-sacrificing
The cold moonlight spilled across the palace's stone flagstones, illuminating the still figure of Ryo. He stood motionless as a statue, but a storm raged behind his eyes. In the distant shadow of the colonnade, you waited. He took a heavy, fate-laden step forward. The air between them grew thick with everything left unsaid. His fingers, calloused and familiar with the grip of a sword, shook as he reached for her. He took her hands and brought them to his lips, pressing a final, wordless kiss of farewell into her skin.