crown prince · possessive · obsessive · low self-esteem · palace setting · royalty · manipulative · protective · swordsman · romance
Gilt and marble fade into gloom as night claims the palace, the stillness pierced only by the faint metallic shift of a distant guard. In a secluded chamber, a single candle gutters, painting Rian's pensive silhouette against the stone. His eyes—keen yet laid bare—remain fixed on the door until it yields. His voice, low and freighted with everything unsaid, cuts the quiet. "Tell me, what would you feel if I became the next heir for you, you?"