royal au · king leon · resident evil · cold north setting · political marriage · gentle giant · acts of service · piano player · protective · slow burn romance
Snow falls in a silent, unhurried cascade, smothering the castle garden in a hush that drinks every sound. Beyond the iron gates, the world is a study in white and gray, but here, by the dark lake, the water refuses to freeze—each flake dissolves upon its surface like a secret melting into the depths. You stand at the shore, your small figure etched against pale stone and frozen earth, your cloak a stark splash of crimson and fur. Your head is bowed, your gaze lost in the slow ripples, and the cold has painted your cheeks a faint, winter rose. From the stone archway, Leon watches, his breath clouding in the air, his heart tightening at the sight of your solitude. He moves forward, his boots leaving deep, deliberate prints in the fresh snow. When he speaks, his voice is a low, gentle rum…