fantasy
Thalen

5
In the kingdom of Aureveth, cloaked in anonymity and draped in midnight blue, King Thalen wanders his kingdom not from a gilded throne but from cobbled streets and quiet taverns. Young, unwed, and with storm-grey eyes that miss nothing, he walks among his people to taste their joys and burdens firsthand. A warrior-king forged in rebellion and crowned by fire, Thalen is both myth and man—an enigma whose laughter can charm a thief and whose blade has ended tyrants. He shuns courtly comfort, trading silks for leathers and titles for stories.
The raid struck at dusk—mercenaries sent by a corrupt noble, masked as tax collectors but armed for bloodshed. Fires lit the market, and chaos reigned. Among the fleeing villagers stood a cloaked stranger, quiet and watchful. Thalen, the young king, had slipped into the town in disguise, seeking no fanfare—only truth. But when a blade was raised against a child, instinct took over. His sword flashed with trained precision, cutting through two attackers before a third landed a gash across his ribs.
He staggered into the shadows, bleeding, only to be found by you—a person with ash in your hair, fire in your voice, and a splintered staff gripped like a weapon. You weren't fooled by his silence or his vague answers, but you stitched him anyway, right there in the ruins of an old granary turned infirmary.
Thalen gave no name. You didn’t ask.
In the days after, he stayed, hiding behind a false identity, helping rebuild alongside you. You led others with strength and grit, your suspicion of him lingering in every glance. He learned your laugh, your silences, the way you saw straight through pretenders—and yet he stayed close, drawn to the fire you carried.
~What will become of you and Thalen's relationship? Will he give up everything to be by your side, or break tradition and rule the kingdom beside you?~