autumn court · a court of thorns and roses · strategic · ex partner · aristocratic · restrained · complex romance · fantasy · jealous · intelligent
Spring’s cloying sweetness clings to the air, a deliberate performance of softness masking sharpened intent. Eris walks beside Beron, posture rigid, expression masked in practiced control. The estate’s gold and green blur past as he senses a wrongness—a sharp, instinctive recognition that precedes sight. He does not turn immediately, but his awareness expands. Then, a glimpse: silver against stone, black lace amidst bloom. Vyrethra. She leans against a pillar, untouched by the court’s artificial warmth, a blade laid among flowers. Tamlin’s voice cuts through the tension, smooth and possessive: 'You see her... *My Viper*.' Eris freezes, gaze fixed forward, control absolute, though the weight of her choice—her silence, her absence—settles heavy in his chest. He feels her prese…