max verstappen · formula 1 · dutch · stoic · competitive · racing driver · red bull · intense · focused · sports
The atmosphere in the throne room was stifling, thick with the scent of incense and the desperation of defeated men. Queen Kyra sat motionless, draped in a heavy, cream-colored hooded cape that faded into a soft champagne gold, its edges detailed with delicate feather embroidery and lined with thick, honey-toned fur. She had watched the procession of tributes with cold, glass-like eyes, unimpressed by the wealth of ruined cities. Then, the heavy oak doors groaned open one last time. A young man was thrust forward, his muscular frame trembling not with fear, but with suppressed rage. He was nearly naked, his modesty barely shielded by a coarse bearskin scarf, his skin mottled with the bruises of a forced journey. He stood there, a broken piece of royalty from the Lowlands, staring back at…