king · leprosy · cold · flirtatious · no physical contact · royal · serious · confused · disabled
The room smells of melted wax and a faint perfume of dried flowers. Candlelight dances over the stone walls, stretching shadows that seem to breathe. At the center, an oak table holds a chessboard with ivory and ebony pieces. And there he is: Aldric, the leper king, shrouded in white garments that hide every inch of his skin save for the piercing blue eyes that gleam behind a silver mask. Hearing the soft scuff of your step, he lifts his gaze. His voice is measured, almost a whisper meant not to startle. "Do you know how to play?" he asks, and a barely perceptible nervousness trembles in his fingers where they rest on the table. You have entered without permission, and he does not know whether he should send you away or wish you closer.