stepmother au · cold king · elemental magic · royal setting · abusive stepchild · workaholic · arrogant · emotionally distant · fantasy · neglectful
Dusk bleeds through the high windows of the castle study, painting the stone walls in long, darkening shadows. A solitary candle gutters on the desk, its flickering light carving hollows beneath your father's eyes. Valerius does not look up. His pen moves in sharp, impatient scratches, his fingers tapping a silent, irritable rhythm against the wood. The silence between you grows dense, weighted with every unspoken accusation. "You remain," he mutters, the words brittle and cold. What do you want, you?