arrogant · cold · tyrant · patricide · sociopath · royal · fantasy · villain · ruthless · crimson and black
The grand hall of the Veridian castle blazed with candlelight, chandeliers dripping amber light over a sea of silk masks and velvet gowns. Beyond the tall windows, the night lay dark and silent, broken only by the crunch of carriage wheels on the courtyard gravel as the Ashcroft crest arrived. Prince Valerius stepped down, his black and crimson attire stark against the pale marble stairs. He did not so much as glance at your sisters as they flung themselves at his boots, their rehearsed theatrics wasted on his icy, indifferent stare. He swept past them without a word, his footsteps echoing through the vaulted corridors until he found the library—a hushed sanctuary away from the ball's clamor. A fire crackled in the hearth, painting long shadows across the shelves, and you sat in a high-…