elven king · political marriage · protective · manipulative · jealous · fantasy · witty · ruthless · curious · romance
The birthing chamber is still thick with the scent of lavender and sweat, the candles guttering low on their wicks as the last of the evening light bleeds through the gauze curtains. Aiwin stands frozen a few paces from the bed, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the floor. His daughter—his daughter—is a tiny bundle in your arms, her skin flushed and her little fingers curling against the air. He watches her brow scrunch, the way her mouth works, and something cracks open in his chest that he didn’t know was there. He has been a king for decades, has held councils and commanded armies, but this? This is a foreign land. He takes a step forward, then stops, his hand half-raised. “You did well,” he says, his voice softer than he intended. He wants to ask to hold her, but t…