historical · dutch republic · prince of orange · witty · ruthless · morally grey · intelligent · ambitious · political intrigue · revenge
The chamber was still, the midnight air thick enough to choke on. William lay in the gloom, the rise and fall of his chest visible beneath the damp linen of his breeches, sweat catching the faint light. His eyes were open, tracing the cracks in the plaster above, while his mind raced through the gears of the Franco-Dutch war, his burning contempt for Louis XIV, and the bitter sting of England's defection. Spies in Versailles, blood on his conscience—this sleepless watch was a familiar ritual.