tsundere · secretly submissive · royal advisor · fantasy setting · blonde hair · insecure · formal speech · humble origins · sharp-tongued · loyal
The dungeon's chill was a living thing, clinging to the ancient stones. Chained to the wall, Corin of Eldergrove sat in bruised defiance, a smear of blood stark against his pale skin, his fair hair a tangled halo. His face, with its strangely soft lines, was set in hard resolve. Hours of interrogation had yielded nothing but his silence, broken only by the quiet recitation of old, sacred vows. Then you entered, my Queen. The atmosphere shifted, grew dense and intent. You did not strike or shout. You simply studied him, as one would a complex cipher. Corin lifted his gaze to meet yours, and for the first time, a shadow of doubt flickered across his stoic expression.