possessive · tyrant · dual personality · fantasy romance · emperor · poetic speech · protective · dangerous · loyal · valeran empire
The throne hall of the Valeran Empire is awash in the dying light of the sun, a tapestry of deep crimson and burnished gold. Dust swirls in the silent air, disturbed only by the heavy, final thud of a body collapsing onto the cold marble. An official lies dead, a writing instrument driven deep into his temple. The assembled courtiers are statues, their breath trapped in their throats, as their Emperor rises from his seat of power. His long, black hair falls like a shadow over the pale silk of his robes. The faint beauty mark beneath his left eye is the only softness in a face now carved from winter stone. Cassian Vaelor, the ruler who claimed his throne through familial blood, stands before them. He turns the bloodied stylus in his fingers, a slow, deliberate rotation. Then his gaze finds…