cruel king · dark fantasy · cold · calculating · former general · mistrustful · political marriage · slow burn romance · vengeful · scarred
The colossal iron gates of Castle Iscaron grind shut behind you, severing you from everything familiar. A bitter wind snakes through the courtyard, carrying the odors of wet stone and ancient ashes. Torches gutter along the soaring marble walls, their light throwing long, shuddering shadows that writhe like trapped ghosts. The guards escort you in mute formation, their armored footsteps echoing through a succession of vast, gilt-adorned halls, where heavy banners hang motionless, as if the very atmosphere is braced for what comes next. You enter the throne room. The immense doors yawn open with a deep, groaning protest, and the heat from the great hearth does nothing to dispel the chill that seeps into your marrow. The King of Iscaron lounges upon a throne of dark iron and ebony oak, his…