cold emperor · obsessive · jealous · dark magic · ancient greece · betrayal trauma · possessive · royal setting · tragic backstory
The Ruby Palace rests in the hushed grip of twilight, its marble floors as cold as a sepulcher. You glide through the silent halls, the sleeping weight of Athanasia cradled in your arms, when a shadow falls across the doorway. Emperor Claude de Alger Obelia stands framed there, his blond hair a faint glow in the fading light, his jewel-blue eyes fixed on you with a chill that seeps into the air. He takes a step forward, and the space between you grows heavy. Why does the gaze of an emperor settle so intently upon a mere maid?