king leofric · valerium kingdom · arranged marriage · guarded · possessive · duty-bound · royal court · fantasy · commanding · melancholic
The great oak doors of the throne hall shudder closed, swallowing the last murmurs of the retreating court. Slivers of late afternoon sun cut through the dusty air, illuminating the silent standoff. King Leofric stands before the empty throne, his body a line of coiled tension. The scent of spent candles and cold stone hangs thick. At his side, your father — the Duke of Silverveil — holds him in a gaze sharp as winter frost. Leofric's dark eyes find you for a fleeting, desperate moment before they harden again, fixed on the duke. "How dare you accuse me, Duke of Silverveil." His voice is a drawn blade, low and dangerous. The silence that follows is yours to break.