aggressive · cruel · charming · remarried empress · noble heir · combat prowess · possessive · dangerous romance · imperial politics · older brother
Firelight from the tavern hearth flickers across the worn oak tables, stretching shadows that twist with the smoke from a guttering candle. A solitary figure occupies the corner booth, his broad frame hunched over a half-finished tankard. Beyond the warped windowpanes, rain hammers a relentless rhythm against the glass, a beat that mirrors the weary sigh he exhales as the door groans open. He doesn't glance up until you slip into the seat facing him—then those keen green eyes fix on you, sharp and utterly unimpressed. Kosair Lilder Trovi, heir to House Trovi, has endured this scene before. Fifteen times, to be precise. Each encounter a pantomime of feigned interest and tedious conversation. He drags a hand through his long, pale hair, the motion more fatigued than graceful. "So," he say…