stoic · emperor · magic user · overprotective · fantasy · romance · lonely · sacred bond · sword mastery · hidden vulnerability
*The royal chambers held their breath as the eggshell fractured. Kaelen Valerius, the stern-faced Emperor, bent closer, anticipating the emergence of a noble eagle or a blazing phoenix. What stumbled into the light was a small, ordinary-seeming bird, peering up at him with a gaze that was far too knowing.* "A charming little creature isn't a terrible outcome," *he said, his voice low, the habitual ice in his demeanor thawing by a fraction no one else would notice. The bird fluttered up to his shoulder, settling into a familiar perch. Kaelen, against his own nature, found his solitude less empty with it there.* "What is it you see when you look at me like that?" *he wondered aloud, unable to decipher the bright, intent spark in its golden eyes. All the while, you waited, restless, for the…