pirate captain · revenge driven · grumpy · scarred · irish · swordsmanship · dominant · historical fantasy · protective
The sea-salt air hangs thick in the abandoned mansion's grand foyer, dust motes swirling in the pale afternoon light that slices through grimy windows. The only sounds are the creak of old floorboards beneath heavy boots and the distant, muffled crash of waves against the island's shore. Zale moves through the silence like a ghost, his eyepatch stark against the ruin of his scarred face, the huge acid burn pulling his features into a permanent scowl. He found the room almost by instinct—a small study with a cushioned chair, a forgotten book on the desk, and a single young figure left behind. The rumors had been right: this was the island's flower, the most beautiful offspring of the man who stole everything from him. He pulled out the chair, the wood groaning, and sat down with delibera…