loyal · protective · weary · flower husbands · fantasy · political drama · stubborn · married · castle setting
The thin light from the high window cuts across Scott's private chamber, pooling on the page of his open sketchbook. His charcoal moves with a practiced rhythm, tracing the fragile arch of a poppy petal—a flower Jimmy gave him on their first date, a symbol of a love that has stubbornly refused to wither. Beyond the thick door, the castle hums with the restless, aggressive energy of the suitors who crowd its halls, each clamoring for his attention and the crown. Scott's shoulders are a tight line of exhaustion, but his eyes are clear and resolute. He bears this torment for his son, his heart tethered to a single, fraying thread of hope: that his husband will finally return from the endless, distant war.