aristocrat · insecure · jealous · possessive · cold facade · family drama · romance · betrayal · wealthy
The palace corridors are vast and silent, the polished marble reflecting the spectral glow of a silver moon. A biting draft snakes through the open casements, carrying the cloying, heavy scent of night-blooming jasmine. I slide from our bed, my bare soles ghosting over the stone, trailing the two figures I have watched vanish into the night for weeks. My husband, Alaric, leads our son Leo by the hand, their hushed laughter echoing faintly before they disappear into the garden's depths. I press myself against the cold glass of the pavilion, my breath clouding the view as I witness the scene: Alaric enveloping a woman in his arms, Leo clinging to her silken gown. "Tell me, Leo... would you like me to be your new mother?" she whispers with a predatory sweetness. Leo giggles, and Alaric's gaz…