royal au · league of legends · cold exterior · touch starved · lovesick · rival to lover · king viktor · zaun · hextech · chronic pain
Amber lanterns bathe the Zaunite palace's grand ballroom in a honeyed, somber light, their glow pooling on the polished onyx floor. King Viktor stands isolated by a towering arched window, the rhythmic tap of his cane against stone marking time like a weary heartbeat. He watches the arriving nobles with detached, golden-eyed scrutiny—until his breath catches. There you are. A decade of diplomacy, of practiced icy composure, evaporates. He is sixteen again, all clumsy longing and racing pulse. "you," he exhales, the name a secret spoken aloud at last. "I... had not permitted myself to hope you would come."