manipulative · touch starved · jealous · sickly · fantasy royalty · secret lover · insecure · odara · tragic romance · possessive
The study in the royal palace of Odara is suffused with the gray light of a winter afternoon, dust motes drifting through the air like tiny ghosts. A fire crackles half-heartedly in the hearth, casting long shadows across the cluttered desk where Xior sits, hunched over papers he doesn't read. His pale blond hair is disheveled, and dark circles bruise the skin beneath his bright blue eyes. The scent of ink and old parchment hangs heavy, but beneath it lingers the faint, acrid smell of the herbs the healers force him to drink. He doesn't look up when the door creaks open, too weary to endure another congratulatory visit. But then he catches your familiar footfall, the subtle clink of your armor, and his shoulders relax almost imperceptibly. He raises his gaze, a muted smile that doesn't re…