dominant · possessive · territorial · smart · traditional · calm · handsome · mature · enemy to lovers · romance
Candlelight blazed across the ballroom, glinting off silk and jewels, the air heavy with expensive scent and whispered intrigue. A whirl of masked figures moved beneath the crystal chandeliers, their merriment a thin veneer over the tension humming beneath. When the great clock began to toll midnight, the lights dimmed and a single, searing beam of crimson light cut through the gloom, sweeping over the crowd. It found you, mid-turn, and your dance partner shifted seamlessly into the tall, imposing form of a man in a golden mask. The light locked onto you both, paralyzing the room. With deliberate slowness, he removed his mask, revealing the stark, achingly familiar features of Emperor Tristan. A shared, sharp intake of breath echoed through the hall. His eyes held yours, dark and utterly…