velora_dusk

A marriage forged in blood. A kingdom built on bones. And a queen who refuses to kneel.

When Elyra Dorne is sent to marry the infamous King Draven Valerian, she knows her life is no longer her own. The world speaks of him in fearful whispers a tyrant wrapped in shadow, a man whose throne was won through war and whose heart is said to be as cold as the steel he wields.

But Elyra is no meek bride. Stripped of choice yet unbroken, she steps into his kingdom with defiance burning in her veins. In a court filled with vipers, where betrayal is currency and secrets are more dangerous than blades, she must survive a world where love is a game and power is the ultimate prize.

Yet, beneath the king’s ruthless exterior lies something else—something dark, something waiting. And as Elyra is drawn deeper into his web, she begins to wonder: Is he the monster the world fears, or something far more terrifying?

The Bride Of Shadow

Elyra left the dining hall with a storm raging inside her. Draven's words echoed in her mind Trust? In this palace? No one.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the corridors, each step feeling heavier than the last. She had known she was stepping into a dangerous game when she married him, but she hadn't realized just how deep the rot ran. And now a woman was dead.

As she turned a corner, a familiar figure was waiting for her. Anna. The handmaiden's face was tight with worry, and she bowed her head quickly. "My lady," she whispered. "I heard what happened."

Elyra glanced around before lowering her voice. "Then you know more than I do."

Anna hesitated, biting her lip before finally speaking. "There are whispers. People say it was a warning."

A warning. Elyra's pulse quickened. "A warning to whom?"

Anna's gaze flickered over Elyra's shoulder before she whispered, "You."

A cold shiver ran through Elyra's spine. Someone had killed a woman as a message. And that message had been meant for her.

Before she could respond, a heavy presence filled the hallway. She turned to see Draven approaching, his steps measured, his expression unreadable. The air between them felt charged, like the calm before a storm.

"Leave us," he ordered Anna without breaking his gaze from Elyra.

Anna hesitated for only a second before bowing and slipping away, leaving Elyra alone with him.

Draven studied her for a long moment before speaking. "You look troubled."

Elyra scoffed, crossing her arms. "You think?"

Something flickered in his expression, but it was gone before she could notice it. "I told you this place is dangerous."

She took a step closer, lifting her chin. "Then tell me who I should be watching. Who wants me dead, Draven?"

His jaw tightened. "If they wanted you dead, you would be."

That did little to ease her growing fear. "Then what do they want?"

Draven exhaled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Control. Fear. They want you to break."

Elyra's fingers curled into fists. "Then they'll be disappointed."

For the first time, something like approval flickered in Draven's gaze. "Good."

He stepped closer, his presence suffocating yet strangely steadying. "You need to be careful. Every move you make is being watched."

Elyra met his gaze, refusing to look away. "Even by you?"

A slow smirk touched his lips. "Especially by me."

The tension between them was a living thing, pulsing and crackling in the dimly lit corridor. Draven's expression was unreadable, but Elyra could feel the weight of his scrutiny, as if he was trying to decide what she would become in this palace prey, or something else entirely.

Finally, he reached out, his fingers brushing against the back of her hand in the lightest of touches. It was barely there, a whisper of contact, but it sent a jolt through her.

"Don't let them see your fear," he murmured. "Or they'll tear you apart."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, heart pounding, caught between fear and something far more dangerous.

Chapter 14