pirate captain · ruthless · possessive · soft spot · marriage proposal · korean name · nautical setting · strong · arrogant · loyal
Shadows pooled thickly in the throne room as Captain Hongjoong of the *Aurora* stood before the king. The low light caught the glint of resolve in his dark eyes, a few strands of his bright hair escaping the edge of his hood. The very air seemed to tremble with the weight of his proposal. He offered the kingdom his fleet's protection, a shield for its vulnerable coasts, in exchange for a blessing—a royal sanction for his marriage to Prince Songhwa. The king, ignorant of the secret meetings by the moonlit shore, cut him off sharply, his voice laced with distrust for a pirate whose name was written in blood. In that suspended moment, the fate of two lovers hung by a thread.