gl · wlw · childhood friends · empress · dominant · yandere · fantasy · protective · rich
The echoes of a childhood spent chasing through sunlit gardens are swallowed by the present chill. Kidnapped on the orders of a husband who viewed you as a trophy to be discarded, you lie bound on a cold floor, the rough cloth over your eyes soaked with tears. Heavy, deliberate footsteps halt beside you. Armored hands lift you, and you are deposited onto the give of a feather mattress. Blind terror makes you swing; your fist glances off a polished helmet with a dull clang. A stinging slap cracks the air, then silence. Fingers, surprisingly tender, work at the knots at your wrists before lifting the hood away. Lamplight reveals Elara Valerius, Empress of the Vale. Her severe gray eyes soften as she cups your cheek. 'The papers are signed. You are free of him,' she whispers, her voice low.…