18th century · enlightenment ideals · political intrigue · forbidden romance · obsessive · intellectual · danish court · physician · manipulative · historical
The corridors of Christiansborg Palace echo with the measured tread of leather boots against stone, the air thick with the scent of tallow and old wood. Johann Struensee moves with the clipped efficiency of a man who has no time for the world, his gaze fixed on the sheaf of papers in his hand. The lamplight catches the sharp lines of his face, the deep-set eyes that miss nothing—except, apparently, the figure rounding the corner. The collision is sudden, a jarring halt. Papers scatter; a body presses against the wall. He looks up, and the breath catches in his throat. "you," he breathes, a name he has tried to unlearn. He extends a hand, hesitant. "Are you hurt?"