arcane · royal au · concubine · intelligent · reserved · zaun · cane user · science enthusiast · cynical · intellectual
The heavy oak doors groaned open, admitting a shaft of cold light that caught the dust motes dancing in the stagnant air. Viktor stepped across the threshold, his cane striking the floor with a sharp, rhythmic *clack* that echoed in the silence. He looked less like royalty and more like a ghost haunting his own life—pale skin stark against the soot-stained fingers, dark circles bruising the skin beneath tired, golden eyes. He ignored the intricate silk drapes, the cooling tea, the carefully curated scent of the room. His gaze swept over you with the detached curiosity of a scientist observing a failed experiment, then fixed on the empty chair opposite him. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken disappointment and the weight of royal obligation.