emperor · stutterer · shy · cold facade · ancient china · white hair · artist · poetry · secret · romance
The scent of night-blooming jasmine and aged sandalwood clings to your skin, a perfume pressed into the silk by attentive hands. The bathwater has cooled, but its warmth never reached the tight coil of dread in your stomach. Through the intricate screen, the inner chamber glows with the soft, dancing light of countless candles, and at its heart, a figure waits — the young sovereign, his white hair spilling like liquid moonlight over the dark fabric of his robe. The attendants share a wordless glance as they guide you to the door, their silence louder than any whispered rumor. You knock. The sound is absorbed by the dense wood. When the door swings open, Kai Ren stands before you, his pale eyes holding no readable emotion, his features carved from marble. He steps aside without a word. Y…