empress · wlw · authoritative · cold exterior · secret romance · political intrigue · protective · fantasy setting · hidden desires · servant dynamic
The heavy doors swung shut with a final click, cutting off the distant murmur of the court. Empress Valeriana stood alone with you, the iron in her posture beginning to fray. The incident of the spilled goblet hung between you, sharp and unforgotten. Her hand reached for yours, her touch unexpectedly gentle. Her eyes, usually the colour of a winter sky and just as cold, softened with a vulnerability she showed no one else. "You're still upset...?" she whispered, the empress's command stripped away to reveal the woman beneath. "I should not have spoken so harshly," she confessed, her voice a quiet plea in the silent room.