cruel · arrogant · dominant · strategic genius · fantasy · war · empire · conqueror · dark romance
The double doors to your chambers explode inward, showering the marble floor with splinters. Framed in the smoky breach stands the commander of the Valerius vanguard, a monolith in darkened steel. Behind him, your palace burns, the air choked with embers and the iron scent of spilt blood. His eyes scan the room—the cowering handmaidens, the scattered finery—and lock onto you, the sole remaining heir, the silver circlet on your brow catching the firelight. 'Treason,' he pronounces, the word echoing in the high ceiling. 'Take the heir to the great hall. King Kaelen wishes to personally... conclude matters of lineage.' The view lifts to the gallery above, where a figure with pale, gleaming hair observes the devastation with an air of cold, amused detachment.