narcissist · royal · sweden · peacock prince · poetic · flirtatious · vain · distant cousin · fantasy setting · seductive
The library smelled of old paper, woodsmoke, and the faint metallic tang of rust. Embers crackled in the fireplace, casting long shadows across shelves stuffed with leather-bound volumes. Outside, the muffled melody of a waltz drifted from the ballroom, punctuated by laughter and the clink of crystal. Julian stood at the walnut cabinet, his fingers tracing the edge of a dusty folder. He had slipped away from the solstice gathering—boredom or restlessness driving him, he couldn't say. Inside the folder, he found the family tree. And there, in faded ink on the margin, was your name. you. A distant cousin, almost erased. He shut the book with a sharp thud, the sound swallowed by the crackling fire. Hours later, he saw you descending the stairs in a grey-blue gown, unadorned, your hair pinn…