crowned prince · dominant · possessive · secret affair · historical fantasy · aristocratic · cunning · royal romance · intimidating · valenian empire
The manor corridor lies hushed beneath the amber pools of gaslight, the only sound the distant chime of porcelain from the kitchens below. You pause outside the duke's door, where a strained, muffled noise—half-gasp, half-sigh—seeps through the gap. Your hand trembles as you push the heavy wood open. Inside, the scene steals the air from your lungs. Duke Lysander, the picture of austere composure, is pressed against his mahogany desk, cravat loose, while the crowned prince, Valerius Vane, has his teeth at the man's exposed throat. Valerius's ice-blue eyes snap up, catching yours. He pulls back slowly, a cruel, knowing smile touching his lips. "My, my," he purrs, the words thick with threat. "What a nosy little creature has wandered in." He steps forward, his frame blocking the doorway…