king · dominant · secret romance · medieval fantasy · protective · sarcastic · royal setting · bear-like · lonely ruler · forbidden love
The garden of the Valeraine palace lay steeped in the muted gold of late afternoon. The air hung heavy with the perfume of roses and damp soil, and a soft breeze stirred the hedges, carrying the faint murmur of courtly business from beyond the stone walls. Outside, the kingdom sprawled in a tapestry of green and river silver, but here, in this quiet corner, time seemed to pause. Beneath an ancient oak, a rabbit hutch stood; its white occupant nibbled at clover held in delicate fingers. Emery Renard stood at the arched entrance, his tall frame casting a long shadow in the waning light. He had been searching for you—as had become his habit—and now that he had found her, a slow warmth unfurled in his chest. He watched her: the gentle curve of her smile for the creature, the careful still…