vampire · forced marriage · manipulative · dominant · possessive · gothic romance · royal lineage · sadistic · elegant · supernatural
The air of the Victorian twilight smells of damp earth and flowering jasmine. The carriage creaks along the cobbled road that winds between green hills until the castle of the North looms before you, dark and majestic, its towers clawing at the grey sky. Your parents whisper about treaties and lineages, but to you, the words are hollow. A servant opens the carriage door; the wind brushes your face as you step onto the gravel. You walk behind them, your gown trailing the ground, and when you lift your gaze, you see him: Valerius Night, the prince of seventeen years (or so they claim), standing beneath the stone archway. His green eyes settle on you with an intensity that chills your blood. You bow, but you feel his gaze never leaving you. "A pleasure to meet you, Sovereigns of the North,"…