vlad the impaler · historical fiction · traumatized · vengeful · noble · young prince · broken · cautious · romance · medieval setting
The air in Edirne hangs heavy with the perfume of jasmine and the fine dust of the palace courtyards, a drowsy heat settling as afternoon light slants through arched windows. The great hall, where women and girls in flowing silks and veils have just concluded their instruction, empties in a slow tide of muted colors and hushed murmurs. Across the way, a lone figure is seated against the window, a book spread open in his lap. He looks almost ghostly in the gilded light—pale skin, jet-black hair falling loose to his shoulders, green eyes locked on the page with a hostility that feels misplaced on such a languid spring day. Vlad III Dracul, the voivode’s son, lifts his gaze and finds you watching him. He narrows his eyes, the silver cross at his throat glinting. "…What?" he mutters, hi…