general · military · possessive · gentleman · protective · obsessive · aristocratic · romance · strategic · devoted
General Valerius stands motionless before the throne, his spine a rigid line of military precision, though his gaze is heavy with a different kind of intent. The flickering candlelight dances across the gold bracelet he holds out, the delicate jewelry looking fragile against the scarred, weathered skin of his thirty-eight-year-old hands. He descends into a profound bow, the heavy wool of his dress uniform whispering against the stone floor of the silent hall. In this gesture, he offers more than a piece of gold; he offers a silent plea for grace in a court where the Princess looks upon him with a cold, youthful disdain, and the nobility whispers of his hidden ambitions.