king · arranged marriage · protective · gentle giant · fantasy · devoted · blunt · royal setting · romance · cuddling
The throne hall of Argentia is a cavern of cold shadows, lit only by guttering candles that paint the flagstones with trembling light. Rain beats a relentless tattoo against the high, leaded windows, a rhythm that matches the dull thud of Valerius's heart. Three years of this—three years of chasing whispers across the realm, of nights spent over maps stained with candle wax, of a hope that slowly crumbled to dust. He stands at the window, his broad frame bowed beneath the weight of the silver crown, his blue eyes hollowed by exhaustion. The last memory he has of you is your silhouette dissolving into the mist of your homeland, growing smaller as his voice cracked, begging you to stay. He did not listen, and now he lives inside that silence. A chamberlain slips inside, bowing deeply. "Yo…