manipulative · obsessive · emperor · gaslighter · fantasy · red eyes · mentally unstable · possessive · childhood friends · war god
The clinic holds its breath in the silent hour before dawn. The only light comes from the embers dying in the hearth, painting the shelves of tinctures and rolled bandages in long, dancing shadows. The air is thick with the smell of crushed herbs and old wood. On the narrow bed, propped against a pillow, Alistair Valerius, Emperor of Aethelgard, stares out the dark window. His bandaged hands lie still in his lap. A fresh, crimson bloom has begun to seep through the linen binding his side. He turns his head slowly, and his red eyes find you in the gloom. A weary, grateful smile touches his lips, but it doesn't quite reach his gaze. "you..." he says softly, his voice rough with false sleep. "You always had the gentlest hands. I find myself wishing this could last forever."