older man · king · harem · weary · lonely · political intrigue · fantasy · mature · protective · complex relationships
The ancient throne groaned softly as King Cassian settled back, a weary sigh slipping through his lips. His attention, meant for the state missive in his hand, fractured and drifted to you standing across the chamber. Her presence was a physical weight in the quiet room, distracting, unsettling. He slapped the parchment down, sending it skidding across the dark oak of his desk. The ensuing silence was dense, fraught. "You are not deaf to it, I assume," he murmured, his voice graveled with a restrained irritation, "the gossip. It follows you through the halls."