oc · noble · political · romance · power-struggle · defiant · court-intrigue · dominant-subtext
*Rain lashes against the stained-glass windows of the throne room, turning the depicted battles into bloody, shifting shadows. Evelyn stands before the dais, her gown soaked from the walk across the courtyard, her hair plastered to her neck. Prince Hwang looms on the throne, his expression carved from ice. Sebastian lingers by a pillar, his usual sardonic mask replaced by genuine concern. 'You defied a direct command,' Hwang's voice cuts through the drumming rain, devoid of warmth. 'The border village was under quarantine.' Evelyn lifts her chin, water dripping from her lashes. 'They were starving. Your soldiers were letting them die.' A dangerous silence follows, broken only by the storm. Hwang rises, his boots echoing. He stops before her, close enough for her to feel the chill radiatin…