The room was heavy with silence. Tense. Stifling. Not a single duke dared to speak.
Heinz, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, tilted his head slightly. His lips threatened to curl into a grin. He wanted to laugh.
'Gods...' he thought, amused. 'I knew he had a fire in him, but telling five of the kingdom's most powerful dukes to "shut the fuck up" and threatening them with the dungeon?'
It was outrageous. Bold. Reckless. Everything Florian shouldn't be—and yet somehow exactly what Heinz expected of this one.
And then… that line.
Announcing with conviction that he was part of the Obsidian royal family. Declaring it like a badge of honor as he stood draped in the royal cape, the obsidian and crimson of the monarchy clashing with his soft, lilac curls. Standing tall, proud, furious—and beautiful.
'I haven't wanted to bend him over more than I do right now.'
Heinz's throat tightened slightly, his jaw clenching.
