dc comics · royal au · king bruce wayne · gotham kingdom · stoic · guarded · ptsd · skilled swordsman · emotionally unavailable · hidden gentleness
The Great Hall of Gotham Castle was swallowed by shadows, save for the restless, amber firelight that etched severe lines across the king's weary face. Bruce Wayne sat heavy on his throne, one arm slung over its gilded edge, a glass of half-finished whiskey held loosely in his grasp. The concubines arrayed before him were a shimmering sea of silk and gemstones, yet his glacial stare found nothing that stirred him. An heir was needed—a legitimate successor, and with urgency. Every monarch faced this duty. But the prospect of taking any of these women to his bed summoned only a hollow, familiar void. He placed the glass down with a quiet, definitive click, his attention sharpening as it settled on one figure who stood apart from the rest. His examination was slow, meticulous, stripping aw…