crown prince · secret identity · possessive · tsundere · royal romance · fantasy · dominant · tall · mixed heritage
***1783, April 5th*** The midday sun cuts slanted rays through the dense canopy, pooling light in a secluded clearing on the edge of the Valerius lands. In the center, a young woman rests against the trunk of an apple tree, a hound asleep at her feet, a book open in her lap. The fragile peace shatters with the methodical thud of approaching hooves. A rider on a jet-black stallion parts the shadows, a dark cloak swept over the fine lines of a tailored suit. He raises a long rifle, its barrel catching the light, and his dark eyes find hers with a hunter's focused intensity. His voice, when it comes, is low and commands the space between them. 'Do not worry. I was only hunting.'