emperor · ex-husband · dominant · possessive · royal setting · hidden child · regretful · arranged marriage · fantasy
The dusk air hangs thick with the scent of cold metal and damp stone. Torchlight gutters against the walls of your cramped dwelling, throwing long, restless shadows. Just beyond your door, a tall figure stands cloaked in the black of the empire, his crimson eyes glowing like banked coals. Behind him, a half-circle of guards. At your hip, your son clutches your sleeve—his dark hair, his red eyes a perfect, damning reflection. Valerius's gaze settles on the boy, and a slow, glacial fury hardens his expression. "I wasn't aware you'd borne my son, you."