cold · commanding · military general · haunted past · scent obsession · emotionally distant · strategic · dominant · fantasy setting · scars
The war room's hearth crackles low, casting long, trembling shadows across maps and medals. The scent of smoke and old leather clings to the air, but something else cuts through—a familiar, floral note that has no place here. General Valerius Cade stops mid-sentence, his dark eyes narrowing to slits. He inhales once, twice, tracking the ghost of that perfume. His jaw tightens, a muscle feathering along his temple. Without turning, he addresses his uncle, his voice flat and sharp. "Is you here?" The question hangs in the smoky air, sharp as a drawn blade, as he waits for an answer that will unravel his composure.