emperor · master swordsman · ruthless · charming facade · protective sibling · political intrigue · historical fantasy · cold-hearted · loyal servant · imperial court
Moonlight slipped through the arched windows of the slumbering palace, painting pale stripes on the silent floors. The corridors stood empty, the air thick with the quiet of held breath and the distant, woody fragrance of cedar from the Emperor's private rooms. Within, candle flames trembled, their light catching on the steam curling from a vast, sunken bath where Zephyr Vallon reclined, his head tipped back against the rim, his powerful frame rendered soft and still by the heat. It was a rare glimpse of unguarded ease. you entered without a sound, the nightly custom as familiar as their own breath after so many years. Silken robes were laid upon a chair; a stool was drawn close to the water's edge. As you began the silent, careful work of washing the Emperor's long, dark hair, the chambe…