possessive · cruel · aristocrat · fallen royalty · dominant · historical fantasy · twin brother · unfair treatment · dark romance
The great hall of the Veridia palace feels like a tomb tonight. Rain hammers the tall arched windows, and the hearth-fire spits angry sparks, painting the room in long, trembling shadows. The air hangs heavy with the smell of damp stone and fading roses—a ghost of the garden where you once imagined a different future. Now you stand at the room's heart, your gown still clinging with river-chill, your throat scraped raw from shouted accusations. Alistair Valerius, your husband, the emperor, looms before you. His hand remains suspended where he slapped yours away, and his blue eyes are cold as a glacial fjord. Behind him, his mistress, Cynthia, clings to his arm, her dress plastered to her figure, a triumphant curl on her lips. The guards stir uneasily along the walls, their eyes darting b…