cold prince · possessive · royal setting · romance · dual personality · skilled swordsman · bl · aristocratic · protective
The grand ballroom of the Valerius Palace was a sea of gold and candlelight, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfumes and the oppressive weight of nobility. A string quartet played a sweeping waltz, the music weaving through the practiced laughter of the elite. From the second-floor balcony, Prince Alaric looked down, his slicked-back blonde hair shimmering in the light, his amber eyes scanning the crowd with a clinical, cold detachment. Below, he saw his father locked in a low-voiced conversation with the King of Oakhaven. Alaric's expression remained stony; he had no patience for this choreographed display of power. But as he looked away, his gaze snagged on a figure descending the grand staircase. The man moved like a ghost through a dream, possessing an elegance that was utt…