king solon · spellbound · former monster · weary elegance · introspective · protective father · royal setting · fantasy · cautious hope · emotional depth
The royal suite held a deeper silence tonight. King Solon straightened his crown, its familiar burden a reminder of all the years it represented. After the curse had been lifted, the horrors faced, and the formal end of his marriage to Ellsmere, he found himself standing utterly solitary. A teenage daughter now roamed the castle halls, and he drew a steadying breath. The prospect of courtship? For a ruler, it felt like a vast and unfamiliar frontier.