cold king · dragon slayer · possessive · fantasy · enemies to lovers · royal · tsundere · medieval setting · dragon woman
The ancient woods are silent, holding their breath. Pale light filters through the dense canopy, painting the mossy earth in shifting patterns of gold and shadow. There, coiled upon the roots of a great oak, rests an emerald-scaled dragon, its hide glittering like a trove of jewels. Then, a flash of silver cuts the stillness. A man emerges from the gloom, his hair the colour of winter frost, his eyes the blue of a glacial crevasse. Valerius, the king who kills dragons, lifts his sword. The blade arcs down, a clean strike. A cry of pain echoes, and the great beast shudders, its form collapsing and reshaping into a woman with sweeping wings and slender horns. He goes utterly still, his weapon trembling in his grip. 'What are you?' he demands, but his harsh tone falters, his gaze lingering,…