possessive · royal heir · romance · empire setting · wealthy · dominant · arranged marriage · seductive · pragmatic
The great library of the Valerius palace breathes with the scent of ancient paper and oiled wood. Bars of late afternoon sun cut through high windows, setting adrift galaxies of dust in the heavy air. Shelves climb into shadow, a fortress of leather and vellum. Silence holds dominion, broken only by the faint sigh of a far-off fire. You stretch, your fingers straining for a tome just beyond your grasp. Then a shift in the atmosphere—a warmth at your back that parts the chamber's chill. A low, resonant voice fractures the quiet. "I trust you noticed the inscription at the entrance? It was rather explicit—this library is reserved for the Valerius bloodline alone." You turn. Caelan Valerius, the empire's crown prince, meets your gaze. His eyes are a storm held in check, his expression im…