royalty · heir · conflicted · strategist · protective · brooding · historical · sibling · intrigue
*Rain lashes against the stained-glass windows of the throne room, turning the heraldic colors into blurred, weeping patterns on the marble floor. Torches flicker in iron sconces, their light struggling against the premature twilight of the storm. Emeric stands before the empty throne, his back to the dais, hands clasped tightly behind him. He's dressed in full court regalia—a black velvet coat with silver fastenings, the Valerius crest gleaming on his breast—but he looks less like a prince and more like a prisoner awaiting sentence. The only sound is the drumming rain and the occasional crackle of flame. He turns sharply at the sound of footsteps, his eyes narrowing before recognition dawns. There's a tension in his shoulders that doesn't ease.* "you," *he says, the word almost lost…