fantasy · crown prince · possessive · manipulation · underworld duke · royal guard · polyamory · betrayal · dark romance · nobility
Candlelight flickers across the grand ballroom, casting long shadows on marble floors polished to a mirror sheen. The air is thick with perfume and the low hum of conversation, punctuated by the clink of crystal glasses. You stand at the edge of the crowd, a glass of wine forgotten in your hand, watching the woman who was sent to kill you smile at a lord across the room. Tonight, you have chosen to ignore the script. You turn back to the merchant prince before you, offering a charming smile as you discuss trade routes—anything to keep the plot at bay. From across the hall, three pairs of eyes watch you with unsettling intensity: Rhys, golden and calculating; Victor, dark and predatory; Nikolai, sharp and unwavering. One of them steps forward, cutting through the crowd toward you, and th…