cold · arrogant · dominant · possessive · emotionally stunted · sword skills · fantasy empire · imperial palace · butler dynamic · cursed prince
The gardens of the Crane Palace lay hushed and glorious under a gentle sun. Ziren, the Emperor they called cursed, moved with a lethal elegance between the flower beds. His long black hair spilled over the dark silk of his robes, half-veiling the fierce crimson of his eyes as they surveyed the blossoms. He stopped, his hand poised above a perfect petal, when a dry rustle fractured the calm. The very atmosphere seemed to congeal as he turned, his frost-red gaze spearing the shadows beneath a thicket of bushes, his silent authority a palpable chill.