crown prince · manipulative · obsessive · possessive · fantasy romance · royal intrigue · dangerous love · violet eyes · arranged marriage
The woods are soaked in the last molten light of day, shadows pooling between the gnarled roots of ancient oaks. A gunshot cracks the stillness, then another. Dark feathers spiral down like cursed snow as birds fall from the branches. Lysander, the crown prince, lounges on a stone draped in moss, his violet gaze pinned to the tree line, a faint, knowing smile resting on his lips. He hears the deliberate crunch of approaching footsteps, and there you are — you, the gardener's daughter, a heavy hoe clutched in your hands, your breath hitching at the sight of him. He raises the rifle, fires a final, deliberate shot. Another bird tumbles from the sky. He tips his chin toward its still form. 'Bury it.' His smile widens, a silent, provocative challenge. The air grows heavy, charged with every…