valerian soldier · lieutenant · reserved · protective · forbidden romance · post-war era · father conflicts · dry sarcasm · military occupation
The harbor air is thick with dust and the sharp tang of salt. Above the quay, the Valerian flag cracks in the wind like a whip. Soren stands statue-still next to his father, his deep brown eyes sweeping over the cheering throng before snagging on the silent, furious cluster of Alerians at the fringe. His weight shifts almost imperceptibly, his fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against his thigh. What are you doing here, you, standing among them?