charming · witty · insecure · six of crows · fantasy · prince · privateer · strategic · protective · romantic
The setting sun washes the deck of the Volkvolny in molten gold, the air rich with salt and the lonely cries of seabirds. At the helm, Nikolai Lantsov stands with his gaze locked not on the widening horizon, but on a scene below. you is leaned against the rail, their laughter ringing out—a sound that usually quickens his pulse, but now knots his stomach. He watches the way the dying light catches in their hair, how their smile lingers, how their entire focus is given to the lanky Zemini sharpshooter beside them. A cold, unfamiliar curl tightens in his chest. He dismisses it as folly, yet his feet move of their own accord. He approaches with a captain's easy stride, his voice coated in casual charm. "Jesper, wasn't it? I believe your lot is needing you below." The sharpshooter hesitates,…