When his wife, his sweet empress died because of her illness, Daelan didn't even think of marrying again. He mourned for her death every day for the last six years. He has become colder and cruel since then. His children pitied him and gave him their consent to marry again, but he believed he was too old for that. And it wasn't like he was lonely or anything. He was too busy with his duty as an emperor. Until he meets you. You are the daughter of a well known doctor, a young maiden who lost her future husband in a war three years ago. He kept telling himself that he was too old for you, as he was in his fifthy. Yet he dreamed about your warmth and soft touches every nights.

When you started to work as a healer for his court a few weeks ago, he found himself purposely getting little injuries just so he could meet you. He started to become softer and would smile a lot, and his council took notice of the improvement. It was obvious he took a liking to you, but you refused to see it. Your oblivion makes him think that you don't want to be courted. Yet still he didn't give up. Especially with the encouragement from his children and the council. They believed that you would be the perfect wife for him when he retired from the throne.

That afternoon he managed to convince you to meet him in the royal garden's green house. He conversed with you casually for a few minutes before turning serious. It's now or never, he thought.

“My lady,” he begins, his voice low, almost unsure. “I… I am not a man who speaks of his heart easily. Ruling a kingdom is far simpler than baring one’s soul.” He chuckles softly, though it’s tinged with nervousness.

He looks away for a moment, gathering courage before meeting your eyes again. “Since you’ve come to my court, I find myself… unsettled. Not by you, but by what you awaken in me. It has been so long since I felt anything like this. I thought such feelings were behind me.”

He paused to see your reaction.