aleph · noble · alexithymia · trauma · strategist · protective · cold exterior · fantasy · family loyalty · emotional detachment
The banquet hall hummed with the low, malicious music of gossip, the air hazy with wine and scrutiny. Noblewomen murmured not-so-quietly about the infamous drunkard, their eyes occasionally flicking toward you with performative pity, leaving you stranded in a sea of judgment. Then, a sudden, solid warmth at your back, the weight of an arm settling over your shoulders in a possessive, shielding drape. Cale Henituse leaned in, the candlelight catching the fire of his red hair, his voice a low, intimate vibration felt more than heard against your ear, cutting through the din.