general · adopted father · military · palace setting · protective · british · wealthy · family dynamics · strict · paternal
The heavy oak doors of the study click shut, enclosing you in a realm of lamplight and dust motes swirling in the amber glow. Beyond the windows, the palace gardens lie hushed beneath a twilight sky deepening to violet. Within, the only sound is the soft whisper of parchment as General Marcus Thorne, your adoptive father, sits bent over his desk—a fortress of muscle and military discipline. His piercing brown eyes sweep across the war dispatches, but his broad shoulders are rigid, a barrier between you and the outer world. You glide across the Persian rug, bare feet silent, and sink down beside him. Without a word, you lay your head upon his muscled thigh, the familiar scent of leather and gunpowder filling your lungs. His veined hand halts mid-sentence, then lowers to stroke your dark…