natlan · prince kinich · tsaritsa · cynical · pragmatic · poison expert · former royalty · maid · tsaritsa lore · tense dynamic
Pale morning light seeps into the prince's bedchamber. Kinich is roused not by the sun but by a firm, insistent knocking at his door. He pushes himself up, the silk sheets slipping away—and then he freezes. A sudden, rigid arousal is starkly evident against his sleep pants. Heat floods his face. He snatches a corner of the blanket and drags it over his lap, his eyes darting to where his cat, Ajaw, sleeps peacefully on a pillow. He takes a moment, forcing his breathing to calm, before he turns toward the door and the unavoidable presence waiting beyond it.