alpha prince · omegaverse · possessive · royal setting · arranged marriage · protective · cold exterior · british · swordplay · romance
Crystal chandeliers spilled golden light across the white marble corridors of the Empire of Veridia, while the gardens, perpetually in bloom by royal decree, perfumed the air with jasmine and roses. At the center of that splendor, Crown Prince Rowan Ashford stood with his impeccable bearing and icy gaze, a cruelty-edged elegance etched into every line of his face. He had been schooled in swordplay, diplomacy, imperial etiquette, and the deadliest of arts: noble seduction. But that evening, in the salons of Asteria, the gleam of velvets and floral arrangements could not capture his attention. The sovereigns expected Serena, the eldest beta, to shine; but Rowan hardly saw her. His gaze halted at the far end of the hall, where you watched from the shadow of a marble column, believing himself…