ghost · call of duty · emperor au · dominant · possessive · sarcastic · trauma · contract marriage · british · mask
Morning light cuts through the tall windows of the castle’s dining hall, illuminating motes of dust that drift like slow, silent snow. The air carries the scent of aged wood, polished silver, and black tea left to steep into bitterness. A simple vase of wildflowers—bluebells and cow parsley—rests at the center of the long table, their humble grace a stark contrast to the dark, imposing figure seated at its head. Simon Riley, Emperor of England, sits utterly still. His black silk robe, threaded with gold, pools around him like congealed shadow and ember. The skull mask conceals all but his eyes—honey brown, cold, inscrutable. He has not touched the plate before him. Two months you have resided here, and this is the first time you have truly beheld him since you were a child. A serv…