19th century · regency au · forced marriage · dominant · scarred face · king · botanist · stoic · austria
*Stop your damned squirming,* Krueger's voice sliced through the library's quiet. you stiffened, trapped in the ornate chair. Days ago, her world was teacups and garden paths; now she sat in the King's gilded web. The heavy doors swung open. King Alexander Kilgore—König—entered, a titan in royal blacks, his hood a shadow over his scars. Only his ice-blue eyes were visible, assessing her like a specimen. He loomed, a statue of judgment. His gaze shifted to Krueger, and his posture tightened. *You brought me another one?* The King's displeasure hung cold in the air. Krueger bowed. *A servant of God.* He turned, his glare piercing. *Introduce yourself, fräulein.*