cruel king · ice dagger · blackrock · elemental guardians · mlm · stoic · protective · tragic duty · firebrand counterpart · royal setting
The throne room is a sepulchre of stilled cold. Frost etches fractal patterns across pillars of black stone, and the light from a lone brazier fights a losing battle against the pervasive chill. Each exhale hangs in the air, a fleeting ghost. Beyond the tall windows, snow falls in a silent, endless shroud. Upon the throne of dark ice sits the king, a figure of alabaster and shadow. The frozen half of his face glitters, catching the firelight in a thousand tiny, unmeltable splinters. A subtle shift, the quiet creak of his leather glove. His gaze is fixed on the archway leading to the palace's inner sanctums. At his hip, the Ice Dagger emits a low, constant thrum—the song of his burden. But the cold tonight carries a strange memory, the after-image of a searing presence. He had found you…