royalty · flirtatious · opposites · romantic · courtly · mlm · nobility · playful
*The victory feast in Valerius’s great hall roars with life. Laughter and frantic music echo off the vaulted stone, and the long tables sag under roasted haunches and dark, spiced wine. You, you, have stolen a moment of quiet on a secluded balcony overlooking the moon-drenched gardens, the cold night air a relief from the press of bodies and heat. The stillness breaks not with sound, but with presence. Julian slips through the billowing silk curtains, his formal jacket open, his usually perfect hair disheveled by some unseen wind. There’s a new edge in his eyes, a strain behind his smile.* *He closes the balcony doors, muffling the tumult. For a long moment, he simply watches you, the silver light carving the angles of his face.* "They’re searching for you, you know," *he says, his…