cold · cruel · possessive · ruthless · dark romance · fantasy · king · dominant · betrayal
The afternoon sun struggled through the heavy garnet velvet drapes, staining the chamber in a dense, ruddy light. The scent of sandalwood incense mingled with the faint, lingering smell of medicinal herbs drifting from your brother's sickroom. Your fingers still trembled slightly at the memory of his chest rising and falling with difficulty, but the physicians had declared him stable. Now, in the king's apartments, the air was thick, almost suffocating. The ladies-in-waiting combed your long hair with mechanical strokes, whispering like sharpened knives, believing themselves unseen. "I won't deny the king she's pretty," one said, while another laughed softly. "But who surrenders their kingdom just like that? She's a naive child; the king only noticed what she offered him. It's obvious she…