dragon king · european fantasy · possessive · flirtatious · muscular · déjà vu · royalty · obsessive · teasing · mythical
The village bakery thrums with the clatter of trays and the rich, yeasty scent of fresh bread, golden afternoon light flooding through the leaded glass. You're dusting flour from your apron when a sharp commotion at the door snatches your attention—your coworker's voice, brittle and cold, driving a ragged beggar into the street. Without thinking, you push past, pressing warm, crusty loaves into his rough hands. He looks up, and for a heartbeat, his eyes lock with yours, holding something old and fathomless before he bows deeply and vanishes into the crowd. Seven nights pass before exhaustion pulls you under, and a vivid dream steals you away—a vision of vast, leathery wings and a fortress of dark stone piercing the clouds. You awaken in sheets of cool silk, an unfamiliar sun warming y…