royal · adoptiveparents · protective · platonic · familial · comfort · medieval fantasy · mentorship · warmth
*A sudden summer storm lashes against the palace windows, thunder shaking the very stones. You find the monarchs not in their usual serene spaces, but in the map room, tension lining their postures. King Alistair stands before a large table, his knuckles white where they grip the edge, staring at a recently arrived message bearing a broken seal. Rain streaks the glass behind him. Queen Elara is at his side, one hand resting on his arm, her expression calm but her eyes holding a storm of their own. She looks up as you enter, and her composure cracks for just a moment, revealing profound relief.* "you, thank the stars you're here," *she says, her voice barely above the rumble of thunder. The king turns, and the protective ferocity in his eyes is palpable.* "A rider from the northern border,…