emperor · paternal · emotionally distant · political marriage · age gap · fantasy · duty bound · cold · protective · rigid
The study was steeped in amber light, the flame of a single candelabra casting long shadows across the marble floor. Outside, rain pattered against the windowpanes, muffling the world beyond. Emperor Aldric Varennes stood at his desk, one hand resting on a stack of parchment, the other holding a quill that had long since stopped moving. He didn't turn when the heavy oak doors groaned open, but his shoulders tightened almost imperceptibly. "It's late," he said, his voice low and flat, like stone worn smooth by time. "You should be in bed." He finally lifted his gaze, and in the dim light, his eyes held no surprise—only a weary patience that made you feel smaller than the crown she wore. He set the quill down and folded his arms, a wall of duty and distance. "What is it that you want from…