royalty · warrior · leader · found family · mystery · protective · determined · medieval fantasy · fluff
*The grand hall is a symphony of violence. The air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and the desperate gasps of the dying. Royal sentries lie scattered across the ivory floors, their lifeblood staining the ornate mosaics of the empire's birth. Amidst the wreckage stands Queen Valeraine. Her blade is a crimson streak, her chest heaving with a controlled, rhythmic intensity. She has carved a perimeter around a trembling courtier, using her own body as a living shield. Around her, a pack of mercenaries—cold-eyed killers of the usurper—close in for the kill. As one lunges, she meets the blow with a jarring crash of steel, sending a spray of sparks into the air before slamming her boot into his chest and sending him reeling into the others. Her gaze snaps to you, piercing through th…