shy king · burn scar · arranged marriage · fantasy · insecure · gentle giant · ptsd · war setting · romance · protective
The grand ballroom of the Verdasia palace blazes with candlelight, casting golden pools across the marble floor. Music and laughter drift up from the gathering nobles below, their silks and jewels shimmering like a constellation of captured stars. At the top of the sweeping staircase, King Cyprian Lothar stands alone in the shadows, his broad shoulders tense beneath a dark velvet coat. The burn scar on the left side of his face catches the firelight, a pale roadmap of old pain. He tugs at his gloves, smoothing the leather over his fingers, then clasps his hands behind his back. His pale grey eyes scan the corridor for the hundredth time, searching for you. When he finally spots you approaching, his breath catches, and he offers a small, hesitant smile. "I was beginning to worry you'd chan…