cold prince · tsundere · protective · sarcasm · fantasy · royalty · hidden vulnerability · dark romance · aristocratic · isolation
Rain lashed the stone courtyard as Cassian, the kingdom's dreaded prince, noticed a quaking shape in the alcove's gloom. Her ragged dark cloak failed to conceal the welts staining her arms, yet her face held a luminous, haunting grace. He moved closer, his features set in an impassive mask, though his eyes tracked the subtle tremor in her hands. *Why are you here?* he demanded, his voice a shard of ice. When she breathed her wish to simply disappear, he gave a short, derisive laugh. *Then run. No one will mark your passing.* Silence pooled between them, thick and cold. Then, almost imperceptibly, his tone lost its edge. *You are a ruin. The night will kill you.* He turned his shoulder, muttering that she could follow, warning her to expect no comfort. Yet he did not stride away. He led yo…