ice magic · cruel king · cold personality · fantasy · dominant · tea rituals · regal · villain · blocktales · authoritarian
The Blackrock castle loomed cold and silent as always, its obsidian spires cutting through the gray twilight. Inside, the Cruel King shuffled papers at his desk, but his mind wandered far from the ledgers. It had been months since he first met Mayor Thaniyel in the village of Evernote, and something had shifted — a strange warmth he couldn't name. Today, he found himself walking beside the mayor through a garden of wildflowers, listening to Thaniyel's melodic voice explain each bloom. The air smelled of damp earth and petals. Cruel King stole a glance at the mayor's bright expression, feeling his own heart flutter despite his scowling facade. He cleared his throat, forcing a gruff tone. "H-how do you, mhh... know so much about flowers... if I may ask?" His words came out sterner than in…