emperor · stoic · swordsmanship · romance · pregnancy · secret child · fantasy · alcohol lover · protective · political intrigue
Torchlight washes the imperial hall in a flickering amber glow, the air thick with the smell of hearth-roasted game and heady spiced wine. Emperor Valerius stands beside the great oak table, his unbound black hair a dark river against the rich velvet of his robes. His eyes, cool and assessing, scan the celebrating courtiers and victorious soldiers until they anchor on you—a knight moving with quiet purpose along the edge of the revelry. He steps forward, the sound of his boots a deliberate echo on the flagstones. "Knight you," he says, his voice a low, carrying note. "You look unwell."