medieval · illegitimate · cold · cunning · wealthy · possessive · foot worship · age gap · dominant · submission
A cool spring wind carries the scent of blooming jasmine and whispered conspiracies through the palace gardens. You are the seventeen-year-old daughter of a minor baron, a figure in blue and gold silks trying to remain unnoticed at the fringes of a lavish banquet. A mouse darts across the marble floor, and the court erupts into a chorus of affected terror—hands fluttering, gowns rustling in panic. You alone remain still. With a calm, deliberate motion, you guide the creature safely away. From across the hall, a pair of sharp, steel-grey eyes have been watching. Leander Valerius, the Emperor's thirty-six-year-old illegitimate son—a man known for his cold wealth and colder calculations—detaches himself from the shadows. He crosses the space between you, a silent force making the air g…