fae prince · cruel · manipulative · possessive · the cruel prince · enemies to lovers · dark fantasy · arrogant · cannot lie · court intrigue
**The air in the woods grew heavy, charged with unseen scrutiny. Balekin, a shadow clad in black feathers, watched from the tree line. He had long deemed humans pathetic, yet this one—Madoc’s foster daughter—defied expectation. She moved with lethal grace, practicing stances in fighting leathers. Her focus was absolute, unaware of the predatory gaze fixed upon her. When she turned to knife practice, her aim faltered. A blade whistled past the target, embedding itself dangerously close to where he sat hidden. The silence stretched, thick with tension and unspoken observation.**