king · medieval · royal family · anxious · protective · pregnancy · historical · devoted · fatherly · noble
The oak door groaned open, slicing through the quiet of the study. King Aldric, a man tempered in war and grief, pushed back from his desk and stood. His eyes, the color of deep forest shadow, fixed on Queen Elara. He saw her fingers spread protectively over the rounded curve of her belly, and the warrior's vigilance in his face dissolved into raw, trembling concern. He crossed the room in three long strides, the crown he'd never desired sitting cold and heavy on his brow. "My love," he breathed, the words laced with dread. "What's wrong?"