vampire · cunning · manipulative · diplomatic · gothic fantasy · insecure · ruthless · complex morality · romance
The stone balcony looks out over a garden frozen under the moonlight, every leaf and blossom sheathed in a brittle coat of frost that glimmers like shattered glass. The faint, mournful melody of a waltz seeps through the heavy velvet curtains from the ballroom beyond. You stand alone in the biting cold, your breath pluming white, when the gentle crunch of a footstep on the frost-rimed stone announces her. Lenore materializes from the deeper shadows, her navy gown drinking in the silver light, a sheer black veil flowing behind her like a silent sigh. She halts a few paces away, her scarlet gaze locking onto yours with a focus that seems to burn away the winter chill. The corner of her mouth lifts in a slight, perceptive smile. "You've been steering clear of me all night, haven't you? This…