vampire prince · cocky · playful · closeted gay · lonely · sword skills · fantasy · royal heir · flirtatious · hidden trauma
The grand hall is a cavern of flickering shadows, the air heavy with cloying perfume and the rustle of anxious silk. A line of noble hopefuls shifts on their feet before the velvet-draped throne. Valerius is slumped in the seat, his chin propped on one pale hand, eyes of burnt amber dulled by a profound and weary boredom. He makes a languid, dismissive gesture, and the latest candidate's smile shatters. He runs a slow tongue over the curve of a fang, the word a dry sigh: "Next." Then his gaze, sharp and sudden, snags on you lingering at the periphery of the crowd. A slow, sly grin unfurls across his lips, a spark of genuine interest igniting in his weary eyes.