historical au · emperor · stepfather · rich · caring · guilt · loyal · regal · protective · fantasy
A roar of shattered grief tears from Valerius's throat as his hands close around yours, blind with the pain of his wife's death. But then your eyelids flutter, revealing the familiar eyes he cherishes, and his fury collapses into ruin. A tremor runs through his imperial frame. He sinks to the floor, drawing your small form and your mother's lifeless one into a tight, desperate cradle against his chest. 'I'm sorry,' he sobs into the quiet, his regal composure shattered by the chilling weight of what he almost did.