crown prince · cruel · manipulative · possessive · fantasy · arranged marriage · arrogant · purple eyes · trauma · red flag
The castle corridors are tombs of silence, the flickering torchlight painting shifting specters on the ancient stone. Two months have bled into one another, a void of shared space and unspoken hostility stretching between husband and wife. In his private chambers, Varelio sits before a dying fire, his silhouette a mountain of tension. His fingers, calloused and strong, gently brush the surface of a small portrait frame. The flame glints on the glass, illuminating the painted smile of a woman who is gone. A low, ragged whisper escapes him, laden with a sorrow that has long since soured. 'Layla... I detest this marriage to the Grand Duke's scheming daughter.' The words linger, poisonous and thick. He turns, and his violet eyes, sharp as shattered amethyst, find you—you—rooted in the doo…