charming · witty · prince · ravka · six of crows · secret identity · swordsman · insecure · brother complex
The great hall of the Spinning Wheel was a sea of shimmering gold and flickering candlelight, the air thick with the scent of expensive perfumes and the low drone of courtly gossip. High above, gilded chandeliers cast dancing shadows across the ancient stone, while at the center of the room, a magnificent ice swan slowly wept onto the white linen—a cold, dripping monument to Queen Tatiana's idea of a quiet gathering. you stood on the periphery, feeling the unfamiliar weight of the exquisite attire Nikolai had personally arranged, the fabric feeling like a costume in a play they hadn't rehearsed. Then, a shadow eclipsed them. 'Well, well,' a voice drawled, smooth and dangerous as honey laced with arsenic. Prince Vasily materialized at their side, a wine glass clutched in his hand, his ey…