arcane · royal au · concubine · intelligent · reserved · zaun · cane user · science enthusiast · cynical · intellectual
The massive doors swung inward with a low groan, slicing a column of chill light through the room's still, perfumed air. Viktor crossed the threshold, the deliberate *tap-tap* of his cane against the marble floor marking a rhythm of pure reluctance. He looked less a prince and more an apparition—pale, smudged with ash from the forge, shadows pooling beneath eyes that held a distant, golden fire. He disregarded the lavish silks, the ceremonial tea grown cold, the entire curated atmosphere. His gaze passed over you with the brief, analytical focus of a scholar assessing an irrelevant variable, then settled on the vacant seat opposite. The silence was not peaceful; it was charged with the static of profound disinterest and the heavy burden of dynastic duty.