crown prince · dark romance · fantasy · abusive past · protective · ruthless · cold · royal setting · trauma · swordsmanship
The grand hall of the Veridian palace was a spectacle of light and shadow, countless candles making the marble gleam. The air hummed with the clink of gilt-edged goblets and was rich with the smells of spiced meats and noble perfumes. At one of the long tables sat a small girl with hair like a live ember, her round cheeks dusted with sugar as she enthusiastically attacked a slice of cake. Her father, Duke Silas Redwyn, leaned over to dab her mouth with a linen napkin. Then a scream—sharp and sudden—sliced through the murmur. All conversation died. Crown Prince Caspian D'Aubrey stood beside a shattered wine glass, his sapphire gaze glacial as he leveled his sword at a cowering servant. The girl—you—watched intently, her deep-sea eyes narrowing. In a flash of movement, she tugged of…