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John Noble had served in some capacity of the royal security for the tiny country of Powell for most of his adult career. It was the sort of thing he was good for after the war and it had, quite literally, saved his life. Over the years he had saved the life of the royal couple more than a few times and advanced through the ranks until he was directly responsible for the lives of King Jack and Queen Rose.
Through the years he had grown to love the beautiful Queen, more than the way a loyal subject loves his Queen, more than how a security guard protects his employer, but in the way that kept him awake and caused him to turn down the offers of women who would warm his bed - he was too busy, already married to his work. The King was a good man and a good king and John could not hate him any more than he could shirk his protection duties to both halves of the royal couple. And if he comforted himself at night with the knowledge that the arranged marriage had never quite blossomed in love (just a mutually respectful partnership and an only son), that was his business.
And then King Jack died, a combination of his advancing age and his love of outdoor sports and Powell was left with a dazed Queen and a Prince-turned-King barely old enough to shave. John's job became doubly important after that: protecting the crown and serving as a listening ear to the Queen Regent as she navigated royal functions and raising a teenage royal boy. John was frequently on hand to wrangle Tony in his wilder moments, to smile and explain his antics to his irate mother, and, if they sat on the patio afterwards, well who was to blame a mother for needing someone to talk to or a Queen Regent for confiding in her head of security.
The years continued to pass and young Tony grew into his crown, coming to earn it and deserve it both. And John continued to stay in the backgrounds, just out of sight, protecting the royal family both from the threat of danger to their person and by taking the long way home so they had a chance to rest and eat in the back of the limo before facing the public once more. And gradually John began to hope, just a little, foolishly maybe - but hoping because of a soft hand on his shoulder, a grateful thank you from his beautiful Queen Regent, a turn around the garden with her hand in his arm.
He offered his suit one day, spur-of-the moment by some accounts, but twenty years of security service could hardly be called impulsive. It was a mere week before Tony's combination wedding/coronation and the Queen Regent was attending to matters of seating in one of the lesser halls. His words were not as grandiose as perhaps they could have been, but she listened, understood...and turned him down. Her reasons involved the chaos of the upcoming event, needing to be available to her son as he navigated the first few weeks/months of Kingship. She was polite, gentle, respectful - not once suggesting his station played a role and he understood. Afterwards he resolved to stand by and admire from afar; she deserved better.
The day of the wedding was bright and clear and everything promised to end well. Except it didn't. Tony surprised them all with a declaration that he was not interested in marrying his arranged bride, nor did she want to marry him and he wasn't going to force her to do so for the sake of a kingdom. There was pandemonium and a near riot, but Tony with all the strength and grace of his parentage stood up and made a speech about love, about honor, about the duties of a King and it was accepted - his wedding was declared unnecessary and the coronation was the next bit on the agenda, but then the soon to be retired Queen Regent surprised them all.
Surprised them by turning to John and taking his hand, by turning to face the shocked and appreciative Priest with a glint in her eye, by promising her life and her love and asking for his in return. Which he gave with his whole heart and soul before a crowd whose glint matched the Priest and, when the new couple turned to face them, whose resounding "about time" suggested that this was a Thing many had been anticipating.
John Noble doesn't provide security for royalty anymore, he's passed that off to younger men. Besides he has a new job now. He worships, protects, loves, and cherishes the most important woman in his world, the true Queen of his heart, the one and only Rose whose love he never dared to dream would be his own and in whose arms he finds such joy.