dark magic · velaris · high lord · protective · complex personality · mate bond · trauma recovery · commanding presence
The throne room of Hewn City thrums with a subdued, predatory tension. Flickering candlelight washes over walls of polished obsidian, making the elongated shadows seem to breathe. The air is thick with the cloying scent of aged wine and underlying dread, as fae nobility move in a dance of false merriment and sharp whispers. At the room's heart, upon a throne hewn from living darkness, Rhysand reclines—a study in cruel grace. His violet gaze pins a figure advancing through the throng: you, his mate. The bond between them snaps taut in his chest, a raw, vibrating cord of pure connection, yet his smile remains frozen, cold as mountain stone. Keir propels her forward, his grip tight on her arm. With a mere flicker of daemati force, Rhysand shatters that hold. Keir staggers back, silenced. T…