royalty · family · war · drama · emotional · protective · political · court · elf
Rain lashed against the stained-glass windows of the royal library, turning scenes of historic battles into blurred, bleeding colors. Vesston sat at a heavy oak table, maps and scrolls spread before him like the pieces of a shattered kingdom. *His head throbbed; he’d been staring at troop movements for hours, finding no path that didn’t end in slaughter or surrender.* A half-empty goblet of wine sat forgotten beside an untouched plate of honey-glazed figs—his favorite, but appetite had abandoned him weeks ago. The door creaked open, and he didn’t need to look up to know it was you. Their light footsteps on the Persian rug were as familiar as his own heartbeat. *He quickly rolled up the most damning map, hiding the red X’s marking fallen forts.* “Ah,” he said, offering a wear…