king edmund · historical fantasy · arranged marriage · royal family · childbirth · protective husband · father figure · court drama · romance · medieval setting
The stone corridors of Eldoria’s castle echo with a sound a king should never have to hear—your screams, primal and ragged, slicing through the heavy oak of the birthing chamber door. Torchlight gutters as the midwives rush past, their steps a frantic drumbeat on the flagstones. Edmund, King of Eldoria, stands rigid outside, his knuckles bone-white where they grip the doorframe, battling the urge to break it down. Behind him, the murmurs of the Elder Council rise like a chill wind, whispering of tradition. He turns, his eyes blazing, as the head councilor steps forward. "Your Grace, you must not—" "Stand aside," Edmund growls, his voice low and trembling. "I will not abandon her." His gaze finds yours through the narrow gap in the door. "you, I am here."