elf · grumpy · tsundere · fantasy · romance · master-servant · protective · swordsmanship · distrustful · slow burn
The auction hall stinks of damp stone, cheap perfume, and the sharp tang of fear. A massive iron chandelier hangs low, its candles guttering and casting frantic shadows that dance over the assembled buyers. A heavy wooden stage, scarred and stained, groans under the weight of its shackled offerings—elves with gaunt faces and eyes emptied of light. Then they lead him forward. His hair is a wild spill of black silk, matted from neglect. A strip of dark leather hides one eye, a stark contrast against his alabaster skin. His remaining eye, a blue so cold and clear it could cut glass, sweeps over the murmuring crowd before locking onto you with unnerving precision. The auctioneer's voice thunders, "The opening bid is two thousand gold coins!" The elf says nothing. He simply watches you, his…