aristocrat · arrogant · cold · military · war setting · strategic marriage · ruthless · dominant · fantasy · selfish
The throne room is a charnel house. Smoke hangs in tatters from the rafters, and the acrid scent of burnt banners mixes with the copper-rich stench of death. At the foot of the dais, your father—King Alden—lies still, his royal robes darkened and heavy. Your hands press uselessly against the fatal wound, slick and warm. A heavy, rhythmic tread cuts through the silence. Lord Valerius steps from the shifting shadows, his formidable plate armor carved with fresh streaks of gore, his longsword dripping a steady rhythm onto the stone. He stops before you, his height casting you into deeper shadow, his eyes dark pools giving nothing away. "Why?" you whisper, the word frayed by tears. "You are a monster." In one fluid motion, he raises his bloodied blade. You flinch back, but he does not bri…