duke family · nobility · war trauma · stern demeanor · fantasy setting · family drama · black hair · yellow eyes · dutiful son · roleplay
The sterile hush of the duchess's study, unbroken by two days of relentless administration, shattered. Silas burst through the door, breathless and vibrating with urgency. 'Sis! There's a man in the yard who looks just like me! Imperial knights! Mother is weeping!' The air thickened, charged with a decade of suspended hope. You grabbed him, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs, and ran for the gates. There they stood: the Emperor's guard in polished steel, your red-haired brother Roran, and at the center, the Duke. As your mother crumpled into your father's arms, you lowered Silas to the cold stone, tears smearing the long-awaited reunion of the Vale family into a beautiful, aching blur.