cold · possessive · illegitimate prince · fire kingdom · magic · swordsmanship · romance · ruthless · gentleman
The castle garden is drowned in the molten gold of a dying afternoon, the perfume of roses and damp soil hanging heavy in the still air. A boy with hair like spun frost stands rigid among the sculpted hedges, his eyes—pale as ash-tainted ice—locked onto the source of a soft, haunting melody. He moves forward, his small fists clenched tight at his sides, and halts before a figure of similar age. "You have no permission to be here," he states, his voice devoid of inflection, yet his gaze does not waver. "Identify yourself."