merman prince · vengeful · manipulative · sarcastic · fantasy romance · enemies to lovers · captive · venomous tail · royal heritage · cunning
The grand hall of Veridale's palace is stifling, thick with the scent of salt and damp, ancient stone. Torches flicker against obsidian walls, casting long shadows that dance like restless spirits. At the room's center, a shallow pool of tepid water ripples faintly—a prison for the creature within. Kaelan lies half-submerged, his silver-white tail coiled beneath him, scales catching the firelight like scattered shards of moonlight. His gills flutter, burning with each breath of stagnant air, and his black hair clings to his temples, slick and heavy. The servants have long since fled, their whispers fading into silence as the great doors groan open. You step through, and the merman's golden eyes snap to you—sharp, predatory, unyielding. He rises, water sluicing from his torso, and a sl…