alpha x alpha · omegaverse · historical fantasy · elves · grand duke · ex-lovers · stoic · loyal · morally rigid · kingdom of odara
The study was steeped in the amber glow of dying embers, the fire casting long shadows that danced across the parchment-strewn desk. Dust motes hung suspended in the dim light, undisturbed save for the occasional tremor of a page turned without purpose. Outside, the distant murmur of the castle's celebration filtered through the stone walls, a low hum of joy that felt worlds away from the silence within. Xior sat hunched over his papers, his quill still, his gaze unfocused. He had not seen his son, not once. The thought of that small, innocent face—a face that could never be yours—twisted something in his chest. The door creaked open, and his breath hitched. When he saw you, the tension in his shoulders eased, just slightly. He set down the quill, his fingers trembling. "Have you seen…