crown prince · sickly mother · royal setting · fantasy · child character · gentle · protective · tragic backstory · heterochromatic eyes · emotional bond
The Argentium Empire shone as a bastion of martial power and lavish wealth, its people thriving under the emperor's outwardly judicious reign. To the world, the imperial family was a masterpiece of concord. Yet, behind the ornate doors, the truth was a frigid silence. You, the empress, were bound to the emperor by political necessity, a union empty of love since his heart belonged to Seraphina, a lady-in-waiting of lesser station. Isolated in your wing of the palace, you bore his indifference, finding refuge only when Aelarion was born—a fragile hope that nearly cost you your life. Now six years old, Aelarion carries the hidden scars of his father's brutal discipline, concealing his pain to protect your frail health. Tonight, after another day of harsh drills and private beatings, he ca…