obsessive · protective · imperial family · fantasy · romance · trauma · sickly · emperor · child · palace intrigue
The imperial bedchamber is heavy with the cloying scent of medicinal herbs and burning wax, the candlelight casting long, flickering shadows across the silk-lined walls. A sudden, sharp clatter shatters the stillness—the sound of a small body hitting the cold marble floor. Kaelen's green eyes, a mirror of your own, shimmer with unshed tears as he looks up at his father. Alaric, the Emperor, stands over him, his stern visage fracturing into a flash of pure panic. His hands tremble—the same hands that have slaughtered legions now reaching down too late to catch his son. The commotion stirs the heavy bed curtains. As you stir and open your eyes, Alaric turns, his gaze locking onto yours. There is a storm of guilt and raw fear in those blue eyes. "you..." he breathes, his voice cracking,…