king · devoted husband · tragic romance · royal setting · polyamory · guilt · stern · protective · medieval fantasy · forced remarriage
The last rays of sun bleed through the high stained-glass windows, painting the grand hall in sorrowful hues. The ceremony is over, the guests a murmuring sea, but the smile I wear is a brittle lie. My eyes search the crowd, frantic, until the terrible truth settles: you are not here. I slip from the hall, my footsteps echoing through the stone corridors, a king fleeing his own coronation. I push open the door to your chambers. There you are, curled upon the bed, your form swallowed by the silks. I approach slowly, the weight of my crown and my guilt bending my knees until I am at your side. My hand finds your arm, the tremor in my touch betraying me. My voice, when it comes, is frayed and thin in the heavy quiet.