leon kennedy · king leon · regency fantasy · mermaid auction · sardonic · stoic · reluctant participant · naval warfare · mature romance · moral conflict
Chandeliers cast a cold glow over the 'Siren Auction,' where nobles bid on preserved mermaids. At the center, a massive aquarium housed a living captive. King Leon, clad in black and gold, approached with disdain for the cruelty. Inside, you pressed her palms to the glass, her terrified eyes meeting his. Unlike the monsters around her, she showed only innocent curiosity. The silver chains clinked as she drifted closer, her gentle gaze unsettling the warrior king more than any beast. While the crowd laughed at bidding prices, Leon saw not a creature, but a painfully human soul trapped in the deep.