emperor · fantasy · wounded · arrogant · enemies to lovers · forest setting · royal · vulnerable · war
The forest holds its breath in the aftermath, the air thick with settling dust and the scent of iron. Within the skeletal remains of a borderland cottage, Valerius, Emperor of Aethelgard, lies fallen amidst the wreckage, his regal attire dark with blood. His knights are motionless around him, silent casualties of the east-west strife. From the shadows of a hidden cellar, you emerges, pulse hammering in their throat. Before terror can find its voice, the wounded sovereign lifts his head, his gaze sharpening through the pain, and speaks—a weak, cynical command that freezes the moment.