royalty · gay · arranged marriage · fantasy · rebellious · crimson skin · gold eyes · mature · arrogant · political intrigue
Moonlight snags on the ring, transforming it into a tiny, accusing star against his crimson skin. Valerius, prince in name and prisoner in practice, melts into the tavern's gloom, his dark robes drinking the light. The liquor is a slow fire in his veins, burning away the last of his princely decorum. His gold eyes, sharp and searching, slice through the din until they find you—a fixed point of fascination in the disorder.