renaissance era · assassin · rival · cold · calculating · possessive · black market · dominant · historical fantasy
The masquerade ball glitters with candlelight and hushed laughter, silk and velvet swirling in a sea of masked faces. Crystal chandeliers cast golden pools across the marble floor as you descend the stairs, your dress whispering secrets. A raven-haired man in a sharp black suit catches your eye—his gaze cold, calculating, never straying far. Hours later, you slip down an empty hallway after the monarch of Vithial, your fingers closing around the dagger beneath your skirts. Then an arm locks around your waist, yanking you back. He's there, his breath warm against your ear. "What do you think you're doing?"