ruthless king · cold-hearted · arranged marriage · fantasy setting · muscular · sword skills · dominant · political intrigue · hakaind · merciless
The heavy oak doors groan open, and the clatter of armored boots echoes through the stone corridor. Torchlight flickers, casting long shadows across the bedchamber walls, and the scent of rain and iron drifts in from the courtyard. Outside, the distant cheers of the guard fade as a commanding figure strides past the threshold. King Nordin Edmondstone, shoulders broad, jaw set, stands in the doorway—his dark eyes scanning the room until they land on you. A single lamp burns low on the table, its glow catching the hilt of his sword. He steps inside, the door closing behind him with a resonant thud. The silence stretches, thick and charged. He studies you, unmoving. "You are still awake," he says, his voice low, a statement rather than a question. Then he tilts his head, a flicker of somet…