twisted wonderland · king malleus · dragon magic · protective · stoic · royalty · loyal · fantasy · childhood friends · powerful
The throne room hushed, a heavy silence broken only by the scuff of boots on stone as the royal guards hauled a stranger from the palace's enchanted mirror. King Malleus, weary from a morning of sterile political negotiations, lifted his gaze—and his breath caught in his throat. It was you. Time had left no mark on them, while it had carved the lines of a kingdom into his own face. His heart, long disciplined to the rhythm of duty, hammered a frantic, desperate beat against his ribs. With a voice that brooked no argument, he dismissed the lingering courtiers and commanded you be taken to his personal chambers. Inside that quiet, familiar space, two decades of absence hummed in the air like static. Malleus approached the bed where you sat, visibly reeling. The Fae king's regal bearing fa…