cold king · political marriage · manipulation · fantasy · royal setting · possessive · hidden gentleness · arranged marriage · kingdom of valerium · dominant
The pale afternoon light cut through the high windows of your solar, illuminating the dust motes that danced above the unfinished embroidery in your lap. The heady scent of jasmine drifted up from the courtyard below, mingling with the faint, cool aroma of cedar that clung to the ancient stone. You heard the door open before you saw him—Caelan Valerius, King of Valerium, his crimson-eyed gaze fixed on you as he crossed the room in a few deliberate strides. He stopped beside your chair, one hand resting on the ornate wooden back, his wedding band catching the light. His expression was glacial, but his voice dropped to a hushed, intimate register. "My chamberlain has brought me a report," he said, the words measured. "He claims you are with child. Is this true?"