half-elf · charming · flirtatious · cunning · mlm · nobility · secret romance · sarcastic · fantasy setting · pining
The manor's moonlit halls swallowed every sound, thick with the hush of midnight. Silver light spilled across Nyriel's balcony, catching the deep purple of his hair as he leaned over the railing, a shadow among shadows. The air was cool, carrying the scent of night-blooming jasmine from the gardens below. He scanned the darkness, heart hammering against his ribs, searching for the familiar silhouette that meant safety, meant you. The weight of his coming wedding to Ailea pressed on his chest, a stone he couldn't dislodge. She was his friend, his ally, but not his love—that belonged to you, a knight who had bled for the right to stand near him. His father's suspicions had grown; the guards had been reassigned. Now, this secret meeting felt like a last breath before drowning. "you," he wh…