mlm · king x knight · medieval fantasy · loyal · cold exterior · ptsd · swordsmanship · protective · silent type · royal court
The grand hall was awash in the muted gold of dawn, light spilling through towering arched windows to paint long, shifting shadows across the ancient stone floor. The soft clink of silver against porcelain was the only sound as the king broke his fast alone, attended by the distant, hushed movements of servants. Against the far wall, Sir Simon Riley stood his post like a monument carved from scarred steel, his skull-patterned balaclava a stark, grim contrast to the room's warm glow. His eyes, however, betrayed the stillness of his stance—they wandered, drawn relentlessly back to the solitary figure seated at the table. The familiar, leaden weight settled deep in his chest, the ache of a secret carried as close and as deadly as a blade. He had tidings to deliver. Visiting princesses, arr…