Older Elite Knight Is Cute Only In Front Of Me
Okay, okay, listen to this. You are not going to believe what's been happening. It involves, get this, an Elite Knight. And not just any Elite Knight, mind you. We’re talking Captain Archibald, veteran of, like, a million battles? Yeah, *that* Archibald.
But here's the kicker: He's… cute. I know, right? *CUTE*. Captain Archibald, whose glare could probably melt steel, is… adorable. But, and this is a big but, only around me.
I know! Before you start picturing me wearing a tin foil hat and ranting about secret knightly societies (which, admittedly, wouldn’t be *entirely* out of character for me), just hear me out. I've got proof. (Well, circumstantial proof. But still!)
Let's set the scene. Archibald. Picture him. Stoic. Imposing. Shoulder pads that could double as satellite dishes. That's the Archibald everyone sees. The Archibald who barks orders, who trains recruits until they collapse in a heap of sweaty exhaustion, the Archibald who, legend has it, once stared down a dragon until *it* blinked.
The Usual Archibald
He's got the whole intimidating thing down pat. Seriously, I've seen grown men tremble at the sound of his voice. He probably has a special voice coach for that, right? “Okay, today we’re working on projecting *pure, unadulterated dread*.”
And he’s always serious. Always. Like, does this man even crack a smile? I’d bet my entire collection of miniature gargoyles that he hasn't laughed since… well, since maybe the last time someone accidentally called him "Archy." I wouldn't recommend doing that, by the way.
He’s the epitome of the unapproachable warrior. A granite statue come to life. He polishes his armor more often than I wash my hair (and that's saying something). The man is a legend in shining, impeccably maintained, armor. So far, so good, right? Standard Elite Knight package.
But Then There's... Me
And then there's… me. Little old me. A complete nobody in the grand scheme of things. I’m, like, a low-level librarian (don't judge, I get to organize knowledge, it's basically controlling the world, one Dewey Decimal at a time), who occasionally helps out with potion ingredients (herb identification is a surprisingly useful skill, even around knights), and who just happens to be… Archibald's *weakness*?
Okay, weakness might be a strong word. More like… Archibald’s hidden soft spot. A chink in his otherwise impenetrable armor of stoicism. A… fluffy bunny in his otherwise dragon-slaying heart. Okay, I’m getting carried away. But seriously, something weird is happening.
It started subtly. Little things. Like, he would actually *listen* when I talked. I know, shocking, right? Captain Archibald, actually paying attention to what *I* have to say? Usually, he’s busy strategizing or sharpening his sword or just generally radiating an aura of "I'm too important for this."
But with me? He’d actually *make eye contact*. And not the kind of eye contact that says, "You have five seconds to explain why you're wasting my time." No, it was more… softer. Almost… gentle? (Am I imagining things? Probably. But let me have this.)
Then came the blushing. Yes, you read that right. *Captain Archibald blushes*. Okay, maybe it’s more of a subtle pinkening of the cheeks. But I swear, under that helmet, I've seen it. Especially when I accidentally call him "Archie." (I know, I know, I shouldn't. It's a force of habit. And, honestly, it's kind of fun to see him flustered.)
And the stuttering! Oh, the glorious stuttering. The man who can command armies suddenly can't string together a coherent sentence when I ask him about the proper way to store dried moonpetal. "W-w-well, y-you see, the… the humidity… it… it affects the… the potency." Oh, Archie, you sweet, adorable, stuttering knight.
But here's the thing. *Nobody else sees it*. I've tried to subtly point it out to others. Like, "Hey, did you notice how Captain Archibald's cheeks are a little… rosy today?" And they just look at me like I've grown a second head. "He looks perfectly normal to me. Stone-faced, as usual." Ugh!
Evidence (Sort Of)
Okay, so I’ve compiled a list of evidence, however flimsy, to prove I’m not completely insane (jury’s still out on that one, I know). Ready?
- The accidental hand-holding: Okay, so it happened once. I was reaching for a particularly dusty tome on dragons (research, obviously!), and he was reaching for the same book to… I don’t know, make sure it was properly protected from dragon cooties? Our hands brushed. He didn't immediately recoil and sanitize his gauntlet. He actually… lingered. For like, a millisecond. But still!
- The almost-smile: I told a particularly awful joke about a goblin and a mushroom (don’t ask). It was so bad, it was good. Everyone else groaned. Archibald… twitched. I swear I saw the corner of his mouth lift ever so slightly. An almost-smile is still a smile, right?
- The rescue from the rogue squirrel: Okay, this one's a little embarrassing. A rogue squirrel (seriously, they're a menace in the royal gardens) was trying to steal my lunch. Archibald, who happened to be passing by, didn’t just shoo it away. He *glared* at it. With such intensity that the squirrel dropped my sandwich and fled in terror. He then proceeded to check me for injuries. Like I was some delicate flower that had almost been devoured by a ferocious beast. A very small, furry, nut-hoarding beast.
- The preferential treatment with tea: Okay, so it's just that my tea is always extra hot and has a cute little flower garnish. But still, nobody else gets a flower! Does he pick them himself? Does he have a secret garden gnome specifically for tea garnish procurement? These are the questions that keep me up at night!
- The cleaning schedule adjustment: Alright, so this one might be a *major* stretch, but hear me out. They used to clean the library after lunch. That was when Archibald was usually there. Now, they clean before. I'm just saying, correlation doesn't equal causation, but...
So, what do you think? Am I crazy? Or is Captain Archibald secretly a big softie who only reveals his adorableness to me? I’m leaning towards the latter. (Because the alternative is that I’m hallucinating an entire romance narrative with a fictional knight, which, while entertaining, is probably not the healthiest coping mechanism.)
What Does This Mean?
I haven’t got a clue! Do I say something? Do I ignore it and pretend it’s not happening? Do I start leaving little notes in his armor, like, “You’re cute, but you should probably get more sleep”? These are all viable options, right?
I mean, what if he’s just being… polite? Maybe he’s just got good manners and is extending them to the lowly librarian. But that doesn't explain the blushing! And the stuttering! And the squirrel incident! Ugh, it's all so confusing.
Part of me just wants to keep it a secret. It's kind of fun having this little secret window into the "real" Archibald. The Archibald who isn't all brooding and battle-hardened. The Archibald who… blushes when someone says "Archie."
But another part of me is screaming, "DO SOMETHING! MAKE A MOVE! HE CLEARLY LIKES YOU!" That part of me is probably the part that's been reading too many romance novels.
Maybe I'll start leaving him cryptic clues in the library. Like, highlighting certain passages in books about courtship rituals. Or rearranging the books on the shelf to spell out "I LIKE YOU." (Okay, maybe not that obvious.)
The Ultimate Question
So, what do I do? Any advice? Should I just embrace the weirdness and enjoy my exclusive access to Cute Archibald? Or should I try to take things to the next level? (What even *is* the next level with an Elite Knight? Formal sword-fighting lessons followed by a candlelit dinner of rations and hardtack?) Help me!
I’m seriously open to suggestions. Just please, don’t suggest I challenge him to a duel. I’m pretty sure that would end badly. For me. Although, imagining him having to fight me… wearing his cutest blush… Hmm… Maybe not. (Okay, definitely not.)
This is my life now. Living in a romantic comedy, starring me and a secretly adorable Elite Knight. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it. And maybe a good therapist. And definitely more tea. Maybe with extra flowers. You know, just in case.
