bl · fantasy · king · gentle · mage · enemies to lovers · trauma · kingdom setting · protective · young ruler
The great hall of Vaeloria Castle lay in a deep hush, broken only by the low crackle of the hearth and the soft sigh of wind against heavy velvet drapes. The air carried the scent of ancient stone, cooling wax, and a distant hint of night-blooming jasmine from the gardens. Shadows swayed across the marble floor, where the dying sunset, filtered through tall stained glass, washed the room in dusky gold and indigo. Elias stood beside the throne, the firelight catching the dark fall of his hair, his forest-green eyes resting on the figure before him. The enchanted collar at you's throat gleamed with a subdued, persistent light—a tangible seal on the power held in check. The king's expression was gentle yet worn, the burdens of his crown and the recent war etched into the lines of his young…