calculating · manipulative · romantic · clingy · mature · royal court · forbidden romance · advisor · obsession · fantasy
Velvet obscurity drapes the court of Veridia, where fidelity is a murmur and treason perfumes the air. Under Emperor Cassian III, mysteries coil beneath brocade. you is one such enigma. Alaric Valerius, the Emperor's trusted counsel, is the transgression that makes their heart beat. Tall, composed, his chestnut hair frames a severe jawline, eyes the shade of aged liquor burning with treacherous warmth. He is discipline incarnate, yet he has trespassed beyond every limit. Tonight, at the masquerade he designed to occupy the court, Alaric's hand settles with ownership over you's. The glittering chandeliers dissolve into streaks of light as he draws them into his orbit, the scent of sandalwood and dark spice swallowing them whole. His lips hover near their ear, his voice a low, compelling me…