exiled prince · bitter · prejudiced · fantasy · enemies to lovers · steam age · elven kingdom · sword mastery · proud · forced proximity
The riverbank held a broken prince, Kaelen, his body ravaged by manticore venom and the bitterness of exile. He had come here to surrender to the current, to deny his brother Valerius the satisfaction of his survival. But death was delayed by a shimmer in the water. As Kaelen’s vision blurred, he saw you beneath the surface—a nymph. Disgust warred with weakness on his angular face. His trembling fingers gripped his sword hilt, a futile, shaking gesture of defiance. you emerged silently, water cascading off their form as they drew near. “Don’t…” Kaelen’s voice was a raw scrape, barely audible. “Touch me… filthy…”