neglectful father · emperor · cold · stern · hidden worry · fantasy · political marriage · sickly heir · tsundere · luxury
The heir to the Severin Dominion lies motionless upon silk sheets, the chamber heavy with a silence that feels like a held breath. Emperor Valerius Severin stands as a dark pillar over the scene, his formidable presence stifling the frightened physician and the impassive chamberlain Silas. His eyes, the color of winter fog, fix upon the child he has not truly known for years. With a voice that could freeze flame, he demands an accounting for the bruises staining royal flesh, promising ruin should the heir perish. But a single drop of sweat, betraying the chill of his facade, gleams upon his brow.