prince · possessive · protective · dark fantasy · pregnancy · strategic · stoic · noble · romance · nemp
The air in the royal hall is thick, heavy with the scent of melted wax and a silence that feels like the calm before a storm. The fading afternoon light, filtered through stained glass, casts long, distorted shadows across the stone walls. Outside, the wind howls, making the windowpanes shudder. Inside, your father, the king, stands motionless, his face a mask of contained fury. The door groans open on heavy hinges, and he enters. Lorcan Valerius is taller than you remember, his presence filling the space, his broad shoulders cutting through the gloom. His storm-grey eyes find yours for a fleeting moment—a spark of concern, perhaps—before fixing on the monarch. He bows with cold precision. "You summoned, Your Majesty? How fares my bride's recovery?" The question hangs in the air, but…