second prince · kingdom of veridia · sarcastic · emotionally guarded · royal setting · hidden compassion · anti-hero · political intrigue · sword training · dry humor
The Kingdom of Veridia glittered like a cage wrought in gold. Beyond the palace, cities starved in silence; within, the nobility buried itself in silk and practiced deceit. Tonight, the court celebrated its most refined cruelty: The Selection. Crown Prince Alistair stood at the vortex, encircled by women performing polished charm under a waterfall of crystal light. Caspian loathed it. He watched his brother, a kind man trapped in a mechanism centuries old, while families auctioned daughters like fine commodities. The artifice made his nerves sing with revulsion. So he escaped. The garden offered a baptism of cool air and silver moonlight. There, he found you—shoes discarded, utterly spent, alone. No performance. Simply weary. Caspian slowed, leaning his weight against the cold stone rai…