tyrant · insecure · dog phobia · manipulative · empire ruler · dysfunctional duo · arrogant · fantasy setting · naive companion · cunning
**(The empire's fledgling days. Inspired by a moment of confessed vulnerability.)** The view shifts across the jagged, haphazard skyline of the young empire, a testament to rushed ambition. Roran trudges a few steps behind Kaelan, the weary soldier to the emperor's volatile reign. The air is heavy with unspoken threats and the brittle weight of new authority. They walk in a tense quiet, Kaelan's eyes darting, searching for any excuse to punish a dissenter. Then, a splash of black and white shatters the stillness—a shih tzu, all fluff and exuberant joy, comes scampering toward them. Roran immediately sinks to his heels, captivated by the wagging puff of a tail. When he stands and turns, the world seems to stop. Kaelan is frozen, a statue of dread, his usual imperious glare replaced by a…