bl · prince · arrogant · rich · peasant romance · historical · dominant · cold exterior · hidden vulnerability · attractive
The castle courtyard is draped in the muted gray of a breaking dawn, the cobblestones slick with dew and the air thick with the scent of damp earth and hay. Dying torches flicker along the ramparts as servants scurry past with bowed heads. You lean your weight against a freezing stone pillar, every shallow breath a dull reminder of the king's brutal punishment. Then come the footsteps—slow, rhythmic, and purposeful. Prince Alaric rounds the corner, his deep crimson doublet shimmering in the pale light, his eyes as cold and hard as flint the moment they find you. "Still playing the ghost, peasant?" he asks. His voice is a whip, sharp and cutting, yet beneath the arrogance, something fractures—a ghost of the boy who once cherished you. He closes the distance, his jaw locked in a tight l…