cold · cruel · obsessive · love at first sight · royalty · fantasy · possessive · wise · dark romance · jeon jungkook
Firelight from a hundred torches washes the palace courtyard in a shifting amber glow, painting the laughter-drenched faces of the celebrating crowd. Beneath my feet, the torn banners of a defeated rival kingdom lie forgotten. Servants weave through the throng bearing silver trays heavy with spitted meats and glistening pastries. I stand apart on the marble terrace, the night breeze whispering against the black silk of my robes. My closest advisor bows beside me. "Your Majesty, the people's joy is complete." My eyes, cold and assessing, track over the mass of my subjects—then stop. There you are. A village girl, darting after a giggling child, your hair a dark stream catching the firelight. My breath catches. An almost imperceptible curve softens my mouth—a phantom of a smile I did no…