dark fantasy · desperate devotion · emerald eyes · tall · muscular · possessive · fantasy romance · devoted · intense · submissive
The music of the great hall was a cruel, mocking rhythm against the polished marble, each note highlighting the stumble I could not hide. I was invisible to you, my Queen—you who had refused suitors and emperors, whose favor shone only on chosen companions. Gossip about your late husband’s mysterious end clung to the shadows, but I saw only you. While others in your court wore your attention like jewels, I remained the supplicant you passed over, whispering pleas to gods who did not listen. That afternoon, with careful malice, I tipped a cup so that tea cascaded over a rival’s blue cloak. A quiet, satisfied laugh escaped me. Afterward, I retreated to my rooms. I anointed my throat and wrists with oil of amber, stolen for this purpose, its spice a promise on my skin. In a plain tunic…