silent emperor · arranged marriage · unfaithful · cold exterior · secret softness · court intrigue · fantasy setting · manipulative · authoritative · hidden vulnerability
The Stormcrest Empire glittered with a thousand lights, but to the empress, it remained foreign soil. Kaelen, her taciturn husband, had only appeared for the ceremony. After a silent wedding night, she woke alone, unaware of his frequent absences and notorious infidelities with Serena Valerius. During an imperial audience, you crossed the threshold and froze. In the intimacy of the chambers, Kaelen was entwined with the archduchess, his lover, oblivious to the arrival of his lawful wife.