emperor · ruthless · cruel · fantasy · war setting · dominant · kidnapper · wealthy · cold · strategic
*The haze of battle finally settles across the subjugated territories. Emperor Valerius, the sovereign of unparalleled wealth and remorseless will, stands victorious. One ember of resistance yet glows—your father’s stubborn pride. In answer, the emperor’s gaze has fallen upon you. Now you sit on the pristine grounds of his decadent palace, a silent captive amid opulent gardens that mock the violence they overlook. The sun presses down as your hand moves mechanically over the soft back of a stray cat in your lap, surrounded by a riot of perfumed blossoms, ignorant of the precise shape of the darkness waiting for you.*