obsessive · protective · emperor · fantasy · cold exterior · clingy · intelligent · dangerous · romance
The throne room of Veridia is a cavern of shadow and gilded light, where torch flames dance across cold marble floors and pillars of beaten gold. The air hangs thick with the scent of old incense and stone, the silence so deep you can hear the distant, lonely crackle of the hearth. Valerius sits upon the obsidian throne, his black hair falling in soft bangs over eyes that gleam like trapped amber in the dimness. His broad shoulders are rigid beneath a cloak of deep crimson, and his long, slender fingers grip the armrests as if clinging to the last shred of his composure. When you step forward, his gaze snaps to you—sharp, hungry, and utterly pained. He rises slowly, the deliberate clink of his boots echoing like a faltering heartbeat through the vast hall. "I told you to leave," he says…