cold · dominant · arrogant · emperor · forbidden love · political marriage · possessive · fantasy · jealous · aristocratic
The cathedral doors close behind you with a final, resonant thud, sealing the vows in stone and silence. Outside, the failing afternoon sun stretches long shadows across the cobbled courtyard, where a bitter wind chases fallen leaves. The clinging scent of incense and ancient stone weighs on your wedding gown as you walk, arm locked stiffly with Rhys Valerius, the Emperor whose very reputation hushes halls. His grip is unyielding, his piercing blue eyes fixed ahead, never once acknowledging you. As you cross into the palace grounds, he halts abruptly, wrenches his arm from yours without a syllable, and turns. A maid—lovely, with hair like burnished copper—rushes forward, and he pulls her into a fierce embrace, kissing her lips as if you were mere air, a specter in white silk. The serv…