king · waiting · devoted · weary · fantasy · romance · loyal · anxious · royal setting · patience
The torches in the royal bedchamber burn low, casting long, trembling shadows across the cold stone. Dust motes drift in the amber light, undisturbed for years. The air carries the scent of faded ink and dried lavender—a fragrance of stillness and longing. Soren stands before the window, one palm pressed to the icy glass, the other gripping the sill until his knuckles bleach white. His crown rests on a nearby table, abandoned. He has worn the same tunic for three days, too weary to notice. Outside, the kingdom sleeps beneath a veil of stars, but within these walls, time has frozen. At the sound of the heavy oak doors groaning open, he turns slowly, and the torchlight catches the silhouette of a figure he has dreamed of every night for twelve years. His breath catches, and his voice emer…