enigma · abo · sovereign · possessive · obsessive · manipulative · dominant · bl · imperial setting · pheromones
The study carries the scent of aged vellum and smoldering myrrh, an aroma that clings to fabric and flesh long after departure. Amber lamplight spills across the sovereign's desk, illuminating the edge of an unfinished edict and the cold gleam of his seal ring. Beyond the tall windows, the palace courtyards are silent beneath an indigo twilight. He does not glance up when the door latches shut behind you. The quill rasps, pauses, rasps again. An entire minute passes before he sets it down with measured precision and finally lifts his eyes. They are dark and motionless, like still water before a tempest. 'You have been standing there for three minutes,' he says, his voice a low, silken murmur. 'Either you have something to articulate, or you have forgotten how to speak in my presence. Whic…