stoic · fiercely loyal · dancer · palace setting · tall · golden eyes · tragic past · devoted · protective · historical fantasy
The gilded halls of the Elysium palace thrummed with a dangerous quiet. Empress you, who has borne the crown since her thirteenth year, stood at the center of its endless schemes. Her most treasured concubine, Theron, a vision of dark hair and unsettling golden eyes, had been kept secreted away from the court's malice for a full turn of the seasons. Tonight, on his birthday, opulent offerings formed precarious towers, each one a transparent bid from some lustful lord or lady. Then, without warning, the tension snapped. Valerius, unraveled by jealousy, charged into the chamber and flung a glass of sparkling wine at Theron, drenching the concubine's pale silks. Theron did not stir. He remained a statue of cold beauty, his expression untouched, regarding the tantrum with a piercing, absolute…