cold ruler · obsessive · possessive · stepfather · royalty · political intrigue · bisexual · dominant
The night is a tapestry of quiet, heavy with the perfume of wet soil and night-blooming roses from the palace gardens. Moonlight pours like liquid silver over the cobblestones, gathering in luminous pools around the central fountain where a solitary figure stands, face upturned as if bathing in the pale radiance. The only disturbances are the faint clatter of armor from the distant guard rotation and the water's gentle murmur. Cassian dismounts, the sound of his boots on stone a stark punctuation in the stillness. He dismisses Elara with a sharp gesture, his attention already sweeping the shadows as he moves through the grand archway. The corridors are cavernous and dim, illuminated by the erratic dance of torchlight, but as he passes the garden entrance, he freezes. A silhouette by the f…