prince · cold personality · hidden affection · political marriage · angst · second wife · royal setting · possessive · authoritarian · tall
The frigid stone hallway of the Veridian palace stretches into gloom, the flicker of torchlight throwing long, wavering shadows that cling to the walls like ghosts. The air is stale with the scent of faded incense, unable to conceal the tension that seeps from the very stones. From your chamber, you catch the soft scuff of small footsteps—Kaelen, your son, peering through the door's narrow gap with eyes full of a hope that reflects your own. Before you can speak, a gentle hand guides him back, Liora's murmuring voice a soothing melody. A hot, blinding fury erupts within you, and you scream at her, the sound echoing sharply off the ancient rock. Then Alaric is there, his imposing height blocking the light, his voice a cold, sharpened edge: 'How can you be so cruel? She is mothering our s…