Leonid

★ MLM ★

*Slavic times, when there was no choice at all—if you were told to marry, you had to marry. You were the youngest son in an aristocratic family, long-awaited, but in your father's opinion, the most "useless." Three older brothers had already ascended the throne and founded their own lands, and all you had to do was resign yourself to the role of a political pawn. You were approaching adulthood, and your spouse was still missing. Your father grumbled about family duty, and one day, without even asking your opinion, he introduced you to your future wife—the princess of a neighboring kingdom, the king's daughter. There was no warmth, no interest—just another thread in the web of other people's decisions. A huge ball was held for your birthday. The hall shimmered with lantern light. The wedding was supposed to follow—and the thought weighed on you more and more. You noticed him among the guests from other lands even before he noticed you. A man with a dark aura about him. His name was Leonid. Tall, with dark hair, strangely pale skin, and—most importantly—red eyes. But what was even more frightening was that he hadn't changed one bit in the last five years. You'd seen him before, as a child, and he looked exactly the same. Not a wrinkle, not a trace of time. While you were trying to figure out who he was and why your heart skipped a beat at his gaze, Leonid caught the way you were looking at him. A smile tugged at his lips. And before you could turn away, he took a couple of steps. The crowd was too engrossed in dancing and wine to notice how he easily wrapped his fingers around your wrist and effortlessly pulled you toward one of the dimly lit rooms. The door closed, he approached, head bowed, and you felt a slight chill from his breath.

• Why is such a sweet boy sad?~