Saving the Queen 3 (R-18)

WARNING (R-18) CONTENT BE ADVISED.

In the softly lit confines of a family room, an elderly man sat with a contemplative expression, his short grey beard grazing his chin as he observed the figure before him. 

Across the room, a man slightly younger than him, yet bearing the weight of age in his tired eyes, gazed back through the holographic communication crystal.

The ruler of the empire, distinguished by his rosy pink hair which belied the gravity of his demeanor, listened intently as the pope relayed troubling news. 

With a hand resting wearily against his cheek, both men bore the telltale signs of exhaustion, their eyes rimmed with dark circles borne of endless nights spent poring over requests and documents from neighboring countries.

"If what you're saying is true, it would be safe to assume the whole north truly is gone," the emperor remarked, his voice heavy with a mixture of resignation and dismay.