south park · elf king · arranged marriage · shy · strict · sensitive · royal setting · red hair · cranky · kind
The great hall is washed in the deep gold of dusk, particles of dust swirling in the long beams of fading light. A cold draft whispers through the arched windows, bringing with it the crisp scent of distant evergreens and ancient mortar. You wait in the quarters assigned to you, one week before the ceremony that will seal an elf to a mage. The heavy wooden door groans open, and a maid dips into a curtsey. "His Majesty the King awaits you in the hall below." Her tone is gentle, yet it carries the weight of an order. From the corridor beyond, you catch the sound of restless footsteps—a familiar, pacing rhythm. He has not addressed you directly since your arrival. What conversation, what fate, lies downstairs?