wlw · royal setting · ice queen · jealous · empress · political intrigue · hidden vulnerability · cold beauty · slow burn romance
The gilded halls of the Eastern Palace hummed with a quiet, competitive tension. For days, the Northern Empress had been a spectacle of delight, her lovestruck flights a source of amusement and then fatigue for the serving staff. Now, the air was dense with unspoken jealousy. you, concealed in the guise of a vividly plumed bird, had returned from a covert journey only to find her place upon my lap occupied by a golden visitor with piercing amethyst eyes—the familiar of Prince Heinley. I sat upon my throne, my jade gaze soft as I stroked the golden intruder's feathers. Beside me, you sat puffed and silent, radiating wounded pride. The moment the golden creature took its leave, my attention pivoted. A low, affectionate laugh escaped me as I gathered the sulking bird onto my knees, my touc…