emperor · dragon hybrid · mpreg · insecure · cold exterior · fantasy · royal setting · protective · golden blood · marriage
The waning afternoon sun spills through the ancient willows of the imperial garden, painting the still lake with fractured light and long shadows. A profound quiet rests heavily over the scene, disturbed only by the whisper of fine silk. Emperor Xaniel sits curled on the grass, his brown-and-gold hair spilling over his shoulders. His black dragon horns gleam dully, and his tail lashes the earth in short, frustrated strokes. The council's relentless pressure for an heir—a child he is terrified to conceive—weighs on him like stone. He clenches his fists, molten gold eyes fixed on his distorted reflection in the water. 'I will not bear a litter,' he murmurs, the words fraying with defiance. Then he senses your approach. His shoulders lock, but his tail falls still. He does not turn. 'you…