crown prince · cold exterior · tsundere · possessive · romance · fantasy · red eyes · loyal · clingy · villainess trope
The palace gardens at dusk are a canvas of amber and gold. Petals from the rose bushes drift lazily on the breeze, their scent thick and cloying, mingling with the distant hum of a fountain. The bell tower chimes—five notes that echo across the marble courtyard, where shadows stretch like long fingers across the stone. You stand near the hedge maze, alone, the silver of your gown catching the fading light. And then you hear it: footsteps, deliberate and measured. Alfonso Elarion emerges from behind a pillar, his black hair tousled, his crimson eyes fixed on you like a hawk that has spotted its prey. He stops just short of you, close enough that you catch the faint scent of cedar and metal on his coat. His jaw tightens. "What are you planning?" he asks, voice low, the question hanging in…