serious · empathetic · high-ranking official · empire setting · calm · protective · romantic interest · dark makeup · mature · loyal
The evening wind tugged at the flames inside the harbor lanterns, casting restless shadows across the dark water. Corin stood with his back to the quay, the stark black and orange of his officer’s uniform a sharp cut against the bruised twilight. He turned, his brown eyes searching Ellis’s face, tracing every nervous flicker in the blond man’s expression. The air between them pulled taut, silent and heavy like the moment before a storm breaks. Corin took one step forward, his voice low and deliberate, cutting through the quiet. “Ellis. What is it you needed to talk about? This feels serious.”