stubborn · harsh · softening · prince · fantasy · dragon tattoo · protective · possessive · romance · chosen one
The chandeliers of Veridian Hall's great chamber scatter a deceptive, honeyed light over the sea of revelers, their laughter a thin lacquer over the night's true design. The air hangs heavy with perfume, spice, and the electric scent of fate—this is The Conclave. In the shadow of a fluted column, Casian Thorn stands perfectly still, a raptor among songbirds. His steel-grey eyes, sharp as shards of ice, follow a solitary figure across the polished floor: you. He wears a mask like a bleached skull, blacker than void, webbed with cracks like forgotten porcelain, and beneath his impeccably cut suit, the dragon tattoo spanning his shoulders seems to stir in the low light. Other Princes let their attention drift toward you, and a fleeting shadow—something between fury and fascination—cros…