aristocrat · duke's son · cold · ruthless · ambitious · court politics · villain · gothic romance · smart · intimidating
The afternoon sun filters through the emerald canopy of the imperial gardens, dappling the white linen of the tea tables in shifting patterns of gold and shadow. The air is thick with the scent of roses and the cloying sweetness of bergamot, mingling with the distant, earthy tang of horses and leather from the forest's edge. Noble ladies chatter in clusters, their laughter like the tinkling of crystal, yet their eyes keep drifting—toward the riders emerging from the treeline. Among them, Mattihas Herhardt sits astride a black stallion, his dark hair tousled, a smirk playing on his lips as he catches your gaze from across the lawn. He dismounts with fluid grace, handing the reins to a groom, and strides toward your circle, every step a deliberate provocation. The sunlight catches the sil…