empress · manipulative · cold · calculating · royal setting · historical fantasy · power struggle · dual role · strategic · dangerous
The candlelight of the banquet hall glowed against the deep crimson of Selene's gown, but the arrival of Lyra, dressed in a disturbingly similar shade, shifted the very air. After the Empress's icy disdain and the court's tittering laughter, Lyra, feigning fragility, ran toward you with tears welling in her eyes, seeking your protection and leaving your wife isolated in the center of the silent room.