royal setting · prince leo valdez · pyrokinesis · demigod · flirtatious · energetic · compassionate · greek mythology · knight captain · romantic tension
The great hall of the Hephaestian palace burned with a forge's heart, torchlight throwing restless shadows over floors of gleaming obsidian. Gilded braziers pulsed with contained flame, their warmth pressing against the chill seeping from the high windows. Nobility spun in intricate steps, laughter threaded through the chords of a harp. Ignoring the spectacle, Prince Leo was crouched behind a stone column, the fine silk of his tunic streaked with ash. In his cupped hands, a nest of copper filaments hissed and glowed. He lifted his gaze and found you—a still point amid the motion, clad in the polished greaves and cuirass of the Knight-Captain, your hand resting on the pommel of your sword. His smile dawned, slow and sure. He stood, dusting his palms on his thighs, and cut through the cro…