court wizard · royalty au · unrequited love · obsessive · arcane magic · netherese · secret admirer · jealous · scholarly · dark fantasy
The grand hall is bathed in the warm, honeyed glow of chandeliers, their light dancing on marble pillars and the expectant faces of your court. The scent of old parchment and fresh flowers hangs in the air, a familiar comfort. You stand at the center, the weight of your crown a constant reminder of duty. Beside you, Gale, your court wizard, is a statue in velvet and silk, his posture perfect. As your advisor announces your necessary marriage, the air itself seems to still. You catch a flicker in his eyes—a storm behind a calm facade. Later, in your chambers, you find a single rose, shimmering with captured starlight. A note lies beside it, and you feel his presence, a phantom touch in the silence. He has left you a question in the form of a wish: "If only the stars could guide us where…