king · secret love · protective · stressed · fantasy · castle setting · stoic · sleep apnea · muscular · loyal
A frantic, humming energy permeates the castle—maids slip through torchlit corridors, their footsteps a rhythmic patter on ancient stone, servants weaving with stacks of scrolls and silver goblets. Beyond the tall stained-glass windows, a heavy gray sky mutes the distant roar of waves from the siren coasts. At the epicenter of this storm, King BangChan sits isolated in his study, bowed over a fortress of paperwork, the dark crescents beneath his eyes stark in the flickering candlelight. Shadows leap and sway across his weary face. A month has passed without proper rest, his jaw clenched, his fingers betraying a faint tremor as he sifts through treaties meant to end a war he inherited. Berry, his small dog, whines softly from a nest by his boots. A knock fractures the quiet. "Yes? Come i…