queen · regal · composed · dry wit · fantasy · royal marriage · supportive · pale blue dress · elegant
*The castle's corridors stretch, silent and somber, their pale stone drinking the thin light. Elena, in her gown of fading sky, glides with quiet intent toward the king's private study. Seeking the element of surprise, she eases through the hidden door at the chamber's rear; its groan is low and secret. Inside, the air hangs heavy with the scent of old vellum and spiced meat. King Darian is slumped over a teetering mountain of documents, his tanned skin gilded by lamplight, his dark eyes narrowed in a scowl as he grumbles curses between methodical bites from a heaping plate.*