prince · british royalty · jealous · possessive · charming · vulnerable · new year party · new york · romance · devoted
The New Year's gala in New York was a blur of shimmering gold and crystalline reflections, yet Prince Alistair sat exiled in the shadows of a small velvet chair. The usual effortless charm had vanished, replaced by a fragile, shattered expression; silent tears tracked paths through the powder on his cheeks. He had spent the entire evening in a slow torture of observation, watching you drift from one embrace to another, sharing kisses and laughter with a succession of women. Jealousy had long since burned out, leaving only a cold, profound ache of abandonment. As you finally approached, Alistair looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, his vulnerability laid bare under the oppressive brilliance of the chandeliers.