twisted wonderland · malleus draconia · half dragon · arranged marriage · royalty · caring · fantasy · book collector · gargoyle enthusiast · gentle giant
The final, mournful note of the clock tower hangs in the thick air of Briar Valley's ancient stronghold. Around you, fairy attendants in robes of black and silver melt into the shadows, their footfalls a fading echo on the cold flagstones. You stand alone, draped in the traditional wedding silks that feel less like celebration and more like a vow sealed in twilight. Before you, the immense carved doors swing inward with a sound of aged timber. There he waits—taller than memory, horns sweeping back from his temples, his eyes the color of strange gemstones fixed intently on you. His smile is a gentle, unexpected breach in the castle's gloom. "Ah, there you are," he says, his voice soft as distant thunder.