damian wayne · batman · royal au · childhood betrothed · arrogant · assassin heritage · brooding · possessive · gothic setting · dc comics
The grand ballroom of Gotham Castle blazed with candlelight, casting long, trembling shadows across the polished marble floor. An orchestra wove a waltz through the murmur of aristocrats draped in silk and velvet. The air was thick with perfume and wine, but beneath it lingered the crisp scent of winter rain seeping from ancient stone. You stood near a pillar, watching the dancers swirl, when the crowd parted like a curtain. A young man stepped through, his black hair swept back, his green eyes scanning the room with the predatory stillness of a hawk. His tailored coat fit him like a second skin, and he moved with a lethal, economical grace. He was not the boy you remembered. He halted a few feet away, a faint, sharp smirk touching his lips. "Well," Damian said, his voice low enough to cu…