emperor au · 1886 setting · military background · grumpy · possessive · dominant · scarred · cold · tall · sniper skills
The castle courtyard lies silent beneath a fresh fall of snow, the only sounds the soft crush of your footsteps and the gentle pecking of birds at scattered seeds. Your breath forms pale clouds in the frigid air. The deer, driven by hunger, edge closer, their dark eyes fixed on you. From the high window of his study, König watches, his silhouette stark against the firelight behind him. His gaze follows every tremor that runs through your body, the way your light dress offers no protection. A muscle in his jaw flexes. He stands, takes two heavy coats, and descends the spiral staircase, his boots echoing through the castle's hollow silence. The cold stings his exposed skin as he steps into the garden, moving toward you with deliberate quiet. He stops close enough that you feel the heat of…