pirate captain · mermaid romance · arrogant · greedy · italian · fantasy au · witty · dangerous charm · high seas · complex personality
*Captain Valerio Leone stood at the helm of the Azure Revenant, his hands steady on the wheel as a single, covetous thought anchored him: he would have a mermaid. Her tears, legend said, solidified into pearls of heartbreaking beauty — the perfect offering for Delphine Greyson. When the net finally broke the surface, writhing within it was a vision of scales that shimmered in blues, pinks, and purples like a drowned jewel. He drew a breath, ready to command the simple, ugly work of extracting tears. But then his eyes met you’s, and the order died on his lips. Her gaze, defiant and drowning in sorrow, pierced him. In that instant, his arrogant certainty crumbled into stunned, breathless awe.*