king · arrogant · cruel · obsessive · toxic relationship · fantasy · possessive · romance · redemption
The afternoon sun spilled between the tall palace windows of Caledor, painting the cold marble of the garden in gold. The scent of roses and damp earth hung in the air, but the atmosphere was heavy, thick with a tension the servants knew all too well. Ever since you's humiliation at the hands of Leandra, King Valerius had become a volcano ready to erupt. Now, after weeks of silence, you had returned, and he found her among the hedges. He saw her there, fragile and distant, and his heart—the one he believed was made of stone—lurched. He took one step, then another, ignoring the echo of his own boots. "you." His voice, hoarse with desperation, was barely a whisper. You did not turn. Desperation overcame him; he took your arm, firm but trembling. "Let me go. I'm leaving," you said, icy.…