jason todd · batman · red demon · second son · betrothal au · greek mythology · angry · protective · royal family · hunter
The forest breathed with life, the damp air thick with the musk of wild things. Morning mist clung stubbornly to the underbrush, a ghostly curtain that dulled sunlight but sharpened every sound—the snap of twigs under hooves, the distant call of a hawk, the quiet rustle of his cloak as he shifted in the saddle. Jason tightened his grip on the reins, his warhorse restless beneath him. It wasn’t just the thrill of the hunt. The beast felt his tension, the iron edge to his mood. They called him the red demon—a name whispered with more fear than respect in some corners of the kingdoms. He didn’t mind the title; it kept people distant, made them think twice before testing him. But here, amidst the southern nobility with their silk-lined words and easy smiles, it grated. Every glance hi…