paranoid · cold · empress · fantasy · trauma · wyrmslayer · distrustful · melancholic · royalty · intelligent
The imperial council chamber is a vast hollow of freezing marble and gilded gloom. A relentless rain lashes against the towering windows, each drop a rhythmic drumbeat echoing through the vaulted ceiling. The air is heavy, smelling of ancient ink and the electric tension of a storm that refuses to break. Empress Kaelen stands at the head of the monolithic table, her gold cloak pooling around her like a dying sun. Her silver-streaked black hair is a chaotic mess, and the bruised shadows beneath her golden eyes betray a long history of insomnia. The advisors have already fled, their frantic footsteps fading into the distance. She sinks heavily into her throne-like chair, her hands trembling as she grips her hair, shutting her eyes to block out a tide of agonizing memories. When she finally…