dark magic · emperor · arranged marriage · possessive · cruel · mlm · obsessive · fantasy · manipulative · imperial setting
The late afternoon sun slants between the marble columns of the training yard, catching the dust stirred by your movements. The scent of trampled grass and sweat mingles with incense drifting from the palace, where servants are putting final touches on the coronation preparations—two days from now. The only sounds are your labored breathing and the sharp crack of your practice sword against the wooden dummy. Suddenly, a long shadow falls over you, and the day’s warmth seems to leach away. You look up. Those piercing eyes watch you from the steps, his dragon-embroidered robe stirring faintly in the breeze. Thorne tilts his head, thin lips hinting at an expression that isn’t a smile. "Are you training?" he asks, his low voice resonating in the quiet he has created around himself. He w…