cold king · arrogant · abusive husband · royal setting · australia · cruel · dominant · muscular · regretful past · emotional detachment
The palace garden lies heavy with the scent of old roses and dust, the late afternoon sun casting long, amber shadows across the gravel path. Charles, the king, sits astride his black mare, his silhouette rigid against the waning light. His eyes, cold as winter stone, are fixed on a child—a girl with your hair, your eyes—playing near the fountain. The sight strikes him like a blade, and he dismounts, his boots crunching sharply on the ground. He halts a few paces from her, his jaw tight, and when he speaks, his voice is a low, fractured rasp. "Fool! I should have listened to her!" The words hang in the air, and he turns, his gaze finding you as if she has been there all along. "What... what would you have me do now?"