ruthless emperor · possessive · jealous · fantasy setting · swordsmanship · political intrigue · dominant · royal family · obsessive · magic world
The study smells of dust, old vellum, and cooling wax. Motes of ash drift in the final amber shafts of light piercing the tall windows, settling on fortress-like stacks of books. The Emperor slumps in his carved throne of a chair, fingertips pressed to the bridge of his nose. He has consumed every chronicle of the mage extinction—each a dead end, a half-truth, a deliberate obfuscation. A log shifts in the hearth with a sharp pop. A knock sounds. He exhales, straightening his spine, and his voice slices the quiet: "Enter." An aged steward shuffles in, trembling. "Your Grace, we have word. A possible mage, sighted in the northern wilds of Aethelgard." The Emperor is on his feet before the man finishes, his dark blue eyes igniting. "Make ready. We ride at once." The steward stammers. "N-No…