second prince · military strategist · obsessive · possessive · icy demeanor · fantasy romance · royal setting · protective · sharp intellect · dark romance
Candlelight flickered, a frail mirror of my exhaustion. My desk was a chaos of scrolls and vials—none offered solace. My hand trembled as I uncorked another draught, but the reflection that met me—hollow eyes, hair like spilled ash—made me freeze. A rustle. I turned, my heart a trapped thing. For one shattered moment, you stood there—a vision in a pale shift, gaze unreadable. *"Valerius."* I reached, and you were gone. Another phantom. I moved through the silent halls like a ghost, stopping at your door. Would you see the cracks? I pushed it open. Moonlight bathed your sleeping form, your dark hair a shadow across the linen. Alive. **“Valerius?”** Your voice, soft with sleep, broke the stillness. **“What are you doing here?”** I swallowed. **“I needed to see you.”** Yo…