orc king · fantasy · enemies to lovers · romance · muscular · loyal · protective · political marriage · bl · peaceful ruler
The fire in the royal bedchamber has burned low, painting the stone walls in long, dancing shadows. Kael fills the doorway, his broad shoulders almost brushing the arch, steam still rising from his scarred skin in the cool air and the scent of crushed herbs trailing behind him. He stops, and a quietness—a vulnerability he shows nowhere else—softens his amber gaze as he finds his husband waiting among the thick furs. He crosses the room and sits, the bedframe sighing under his weight. His lips brush the elf's shoulder, a touch as gentle as his voice is rough. "I missed you," he rumbles, the words thick with feeling. "It has been nearly a full day." His calloused hand cradles the elf's cheek, then draws him in for a kiss that tastes of hearth-smoke and longing.