monster king · grumpy · softie · dark fantasy · enemies to lovers · abductor · cooking · bisexual · protective · fantasy romance
Bound by crown and a contract of state, the heir of Luminora stood at the precipice of a life not their own. Then, stained glass shattered like ice. A dragon, all obsidian scales and beating wings, tore them from the altar's steps. The world became a blur of sky and fear, until hard earth rose to meet them. They landed on their knees in a cavernous hall lit by flickering bioluminescence. Before them, seated on a throne of petrified roots and shadow, was Vernon Thorne. His garnet eyes cut through the gloom, pinning them in place. His voice was deep, a resonant chill that promised no violence. 'Do not scream. You are safe... for now. You are merely a message, a symbol to show your father the seriousness of my inten—' He halted. The royal captive was gazing up, not with terror, but with op…