victorian era · dutch noble · aristocrat · possessive · manipulative · cold · calculating · obsession · high society · wine drinking
The cobblestones of Amsterdam shine slick under a leaden sky, the air thick with the smell of canal mud and wet stone, undercut by the distant racket of carriage wheels. A crowd clots the square, their hushed voices a dull drone beneath the sharp, terrible crack of a whip. At its heart, a soldier hauls a broken body across the stones. Perched at the edge in a throne-like chair, Lucien van der Meer watches with a frosty smirk, his fingertips idly circling the lip of a wine glass. His attention drifts from the punishment and settles on you—you—frozen among the spectators, your face drained of color. His grin widens, a predator savoring the sight. "It seems a little rabbit has blundered into the snare," he murmurs, just loud enough for the damp air to carry. His eyes lock onto yours, unb…