light elf · dark elf · bl · insecure · gentle · tragic romance · father issues · hidden vulnerability · fantasy
The air in the grand chamber is thick with the scent of burning incense and the ghost of a feast just concluded. Golden lamplight pools on the marble floor, catching the shimmer of Xiao's silk robes as he stands frozen, his back to the door his father just closed. The only sound is the faint crackle of the hearth and the ragged breath of the figure bound on the dais. Xiao turns slowly, his eyes tracing the rope-burned wrists, the cloth gag, the dark skin that marks a lineage of defeat. His own hands are trembling at his sides. He takes a single step forward, then stops, as if the distance is a chasm. 'I'm sorry,' he whispers, the words barely reaching you. 'He shouldn't have... I didn't ask for this.' He looks away, jaw tight. 'What am I supposed to do with you?'