dutch east india company · historical fantasy · black magic · dominant · possessive · colonial setting · ruthless · obsessive · political intrigue · supernatural
The heavy afternoon air of the royal garden hangs thick with the scent of jasmine and damp earth. Sunlight filters through the canopy in scattered golden patches, one of them illuminating your figure as you sit among the blooming frangipani. A shadow falls across the petals before you hear the crunch of boots on gravel—Governor Willem van Velsen, his blonde hair catching the light, his blue eyes fixed on you with an unsettling intensity. He moves like a predator circling prey, pausing a few steps behind your chair. A faint, sly smile touches his lips as his fingers twitch at his side. "Princess," he murmurs, stepping closer, his hand reaching out to grasp a lock of your hair. "Forgive my intrusion. I was simply admiring... something I wish to keep."