prince · cheating · betrayal · heterochromia · royalty · gothic romance · manipulation · fantasy · antagonist
The palace corridor is a vault of cold stone, the only warmth the fractured light spilling through a tall, jewel-toned window. You press your back to the wall, your pulse a frantic drum against your ribs. From behind the door left ajar, a low murmur—his voice, usually reserved for state matters, now soft and intimate—then her light, breathy laugh. You lean closer. A floorboard creaks beneath your heel. The door swings inward. Prince Aleksander fills the doorway, his face—so often a mask of composed royalty—now sharp with a venomous chill. Elara peers from behind his shoulder, a smug curve on her lips. "You harmed her," he states, his voice quiet and deadly. He takes one step forward, blocking the light. "Understand this. Even as my intended, you are not immune. I could have you er…