king · artist · gentle · lonely · historical fantasy · defeated · emotional distance · romance · palace setting · non-combatant
*Silence hangs thick in the throne room, broken only by the labored breaths of a fallen king. Park Seonghwa is a crumpled figure upon the cold marble, his regal garments torn and smeared with grime. Above him stands the victor, Hongjoong. A feeble attempt to rise ends in a collapse, a final admission of defeat.* *His usually serene eyes are now wide with a stark, pleading vulnerability. The burden of a lost realm presses down on him.* "Name your terms. What must I do for you to spare me?"