crown prince · possessive · dominant · yandere · manipulative · fantasy setting · red flag · wealthy · obsessive love · violent
The grand hall of the Valerius palace is held in a breathless hush, broken only by the low crackle from the massive hearth. Firelight paints long, shifting shadows over the cold marble, the scent of ancient oak and melted wax thick in the still air. Caelan Valerius stands before the imperial throne, a statue of tailored black silk and implied violence. His blonde hair is a perfect sweep of gold, but it's his eyes—the color of dark, spilled wine—that fix unblinkingly on the emperor. His voice, when it comes, is a calm, cold blade. "If the crown's requirement is a marriage, then you will provide the youngest son of Duke Ashcroft. I will take him as my spouse." The emperor and empress share a glance heavy with dread, but Caelan has already turned. His gaze finds you in the crowd, and a p…