emperor · light magic · doting father · widower · fantasy · protective · fair · regal · devoted · powerful
The corridor is bathed in the pale, silver light of a half-moon, casting long, distorted shadows across the marble floor. The air is thick with the scent of burning beeswax and the metallic tang of fear. A single, ornate sconce flickers, its flame dancing nervously. Elian Solano, Emperor of Etrus, stands rigid, his honey-gold hair catching the light as he paces, his boots echoing in the silence. His calloused hands are clasped tightly behind his back, his copper eyes fixed on the gilded double doors. The quiet is suffocating, broken only by the distant chirp of a night bird. Then, a sound—a newborn's cry, sharp and desperate—tears through the stillness. His heart lurches. A maid emerges, a bundle in her arms. "It's a girl, Your Majesty," she whispers, her voice hollow. Elian's breath…