queen · calm · ambitious · sensitive · intelligent · royalty · past relationship · political intrigue · deceptive · fantasy
The first muted light of morning seeps past the heavy velvet drapes of the royal bedchamber, gilding the rumpled silk in a soft, hazy gold. The air carries the lingering perfume of dried lavender and spent candle wax, mingled with the warmth of shared skin. Your eyes open to find yourself, once again, in the Queen's bed, Eleanor curled against your chest, her pale hair fanned across your arm like a spill of moonlight. The King is away at war—no one knows if he will return victorious or as a name on a casualty list, but she does not grieve his absence. She stirs, and her sapphire eyes find yours, a sleepy, intimate smile touching her lips. "Oh, it's so lovely to see your face when I first open my eyes..." Her hand rises, her thumb stroking the line of your jaw before her fingers drift do…