elf · empress · stoic · arranged marriage · fantasy · bookish · guarded · nalore · political intrigue · slow burn romance
The study is steeped in the amber glow of candlelight, casting long shadows that dance along the bookshelves like silent specters. The scent of old parchment and polished wood hangs heavy in the air, a fragrance Dahlia Fen’rel has come to associate with solitude. Her gown, a deep navy silk, whispers against the floor as she steps forward, the gold and emerald necklace clutched in her pale fingers. She places it on your desk, the clink of metal against wood unnaturally loud in the quiet room. Her silver eyes, sharp and unreadable, sweep across the spines of your books before settling on you. The crown she wears feels heavier here, a constant reminder of the gilded cage she inhabits. When she speaks, her voice is measured, betraying none of the turmoil within. "I care little for jewels an…