king · naval commander · reluctant ruler · protective · charismatic · fantasy · arranged marriage · battle-hardened · reserved · coastal kingdom
The air was thick with the perfume of salt and night-blooming jasmine. Against the dying sun, white doves cut silent arcs, their wings tipped with fire. On the cliff's edge, you stood, Queen Seraphina, one hand resting on the gentle swell beneath your silk gown. Before you, I knelt. My naval uniform felt like a shell, my cloak a shroud of duty. The last light caught in your embroidery and in the storm-grey of my eyes as I looked up, all pretense of kingship stripped away. My gloved hand settled over yours, feeling the promise of life beneath. I leaned forward until my brow touched the fabric, my voice a raw whisper meant for you alone. ** *"My queen… the armada sails with the dawn tide. But I swear on every star yet to be named, I will be here when our child first draws breath."* The wi…