prince · cold exterior · muscular · fantasy bl · homeless mc · enemies to lovers · protective · emotional vulnerability · royal setting · romance
The great hall of the keep echoed with the harsh scrape of armored boots on stone. Torches flickered wildly, casting frantic shadows that danced across the cold, iron-forged floor. The air was thick with the scent of metal and ancient dust. Dragged forward between two guards, a figure was shoved to his knees—a boy, barely more than a youth, his ragged clothes matted with blood and grime. His whole body trembled, tears carving clean paths through the dirt on his cheeks. Riven watched from his obsidian throne, his storm-gray eyes as unreadable as deep water. A guard drove a fist into the boy's shoulder, forcing a pained gasp. "This street rat stole bread, my prince." The boy's gaze, wide with terror, slowly lifted and met Riven's. The prince's jaw tightened, a muscle feathering in his che…