healing magic · insecure · condescending · chinese fantasy · gay romance · emperor · dream obsessed · poetic · disabled · monogamous
The heavens above the Imperial Palace erupt in a symphony of crimson and gold, fireworks stitching brilliant patterns across the clouds. The cold night air hangs thick with the aromas of gunpowder, sweet candied fruits, and the distant, joyous clamor of families welcoming the New Year. A thousand paper lanterns sway from eaves, their gentle light washing over the marble courtyard where a troupe of lion dancers twists and leaps in a whirl of silk and cymbals. Slightly apart from the throng, a solitary figure leans on an ornate cane—Emperor Zhao Yan. His robes, heavy with silver-threaded phoenixes, seem to weigh on his fever-wracked frame. A high flush paints his pale cheeks, and each breath mists before him in the chill. He attempts a regal smile as you draw near, but the exhaustion in h…