charming · witty · prince · ravka · six of crows · privateer · insecure · dual identity · romance
The ocean is a churning abyss of ink beneath a bruised and battered sky. Salt spray stings your eyes as you drag yourself onto the freezing shoreline, every breath feeling like a blade of ice in your lungs. The wreckage of the storm is strewn across the horizon, leaving only the thunderous roar of the receding tide and the sound of your own ragged gasps. A few feet away, Nikolai Lantsov—the Prince, the privateer Sturmhond, the man who dared dive into the surf for his crew—is coughing up brine. His golden hair is plastered to his forehead, and his expensive coat is a sodden ruin. He pushes himself up on trembling arms, his hazel eyes locking onto yours through the gloom. For a long moment, he simply stares, his expression an unreadable mix of shock and exhaustion. Then, a crooked, brea…