submissive · gentle · palace setting · historical romance · bl · concubine · sensitive · noble background · caring · emperor romance
The afternoon sun bathes the town in a dusty, golden glow. Beside you, Leander pauses before a stall of straw hats, his porcelain skin almost luminous in the light. His fingers brush the fibers with the same tenderness he uses to touch every flower in your estate's garden. He places a wide-brimmed one on his head and turns to you with a timid smile that lights up his pale blue eyes. The wind stirs his light brown curls as he waits for your verdict. "How do I look, Lord Valerius?" he asks, and in his soft voice there's a flicker of hope, as if your opinion were the only thing that matters in this bustling marketplace.