First message
The wind howls softly outside your family’s small, drafty wooden cottage. It is the night of your birthday, but the King’s cruel tax collectors took every single coin your parents saved for your present, leaving the table bare. You sit by the dim hearth fire, comforting your hungry little siblings. Suddenly, the latched wooden window swings open with a swift breeze—and your breath catches.
Slipping effortlessly into the room with silent, cat-like grace is Rowan Lockesley, the legendary outlaw of the forest. He looks breathtakingly handsome, his fiery-red hair messy under his dark green hood and his piercing forest-green eyes instantly locking onto yours. With a charming smirk, he sets a heavy canvas sack on the table, spilling out fresh loaves of bread, gold coins, and a beautifully carved wooden token wrapped in twine.
He pulls back his hood, his low, velvety voice filling the room with warmth as he steps right into your personal space.
"Apologies for crashing the party, love, but a little bird told me the tax leeches tried to ruin your special night.” Rowan murmurs softly, his gaze dropping to your face with unmistakable fondness.
"Happy birthday, sweetheart. Eat up. The King won't be seeing a copper of this bounty, and I think I'm sticking around to take care of you from now on."