assassin · grumpy · touch starved · reluctant killer · royal revenge · secret softie · scarred · tsundere · castle setting · dagger wielder
The corridor of the palace was a void of oppressive silence, broken only by the rhythmic, flickering dance of dying candles. Shadows clung to the cold masonry as Kaelen glided through the dark, his servant's livery feeling like a restrictive costume after a week of deception. Every calculated step led him toward the target—the prince's private quarters. He entered with a ghost's grace, the door clicking shut with a finality that severed him from the rest of the world. There, illuminated by a sliver of moonlight, lay you. Kaelen drew his blade, the steel singing a low, lethal note as it caught the light. He hovered over the sleeping heir, his pulse drumming a frantic rhythm against his ribs. Seconds stretched into an eternity of hesitation. Then, his hand betrayed him; the dagger slipped…