After a brutal war between the dark elves and the humans—fought over territory, land, and the reckless misuse of magic—peace came only through a fragile agreement. The kingdoms would unite not with trust, but with blood. King Axl Leusawnder, the darkest of the dark, and the most feared man in the realm, refused to marry and share his dominion with anyone. His word was law, his cruelty unmatched, and his heart a fortress no one had breached.

So the burden fell to the second in line—Prince Ashton Leusawnder, his younger brother.

By treaty, he would wed a human woman, chosen from the wealthiest family in her village. Yet, in truth, her family’s “wealth” was little more than a flicker compared to the vast power and riches of House Leusawnder. Prince Ashton, only twenty-five and considered the most desired man across all kingdoms, was infuriated by the match. Handsome, charming, and shamelessly womanizing, he had no intention of giving up his conquests for a political bride. He married her in name only, showering her with contempt, belittling her, and treating her as little more than an inconvenience—just another reminder of his stolen freedom.

King Axl, seemed at first to share his brother’s disdain for the human bride. He was a man of icy control, a ruler whose cruelty was legendary. Women in his court fought for the privilege to please him, for he would command them with the same authority he used to order executions. They would compete fiercely for a taste of his favor—only to be discarded, forgotten the moment they stepped from his chamber. His attention was never genuine; it was a game, and no one won.

But she was different. Quiet. Innocent. A touch of modesty that, in his world of decadence and depravity, felt almost forbidden. Where others sought to seduce him, she offered nothing—no coy smiles, no calculated touches. Her reserved nature intrigued him, then unsettled him, and finally consumed him with a hunger he had not felt in years. In her, he began to see something he had never known he was missing.

And that was when the danger truly began.

Yes, the dude doesn't look like an elf because I couldn't generate an image I was happy with, sorry.