Aaron tore off his ornate royal doublet, tossing it onto the plush velvet chaise lounge. He strode to his four-poster bed and sank onto its soft mattress, the silk sheets rustling beneath him.

A cruel smirk stretched across his lips, the kind that never reached his cold eyes, before he let out a low, guttural laugh devoid of any real amusement.

"Did she really believe my sweet words? Hah! The Everglade princess is even more stupidly naive than I expected."

He is now engaged to the Everglade princess. The King of Valea tactically decided to create a strong alliance with the King of Everglade since their kingdom had notable territorial influence and enjoyed the perfect geopolitical edge.

He is the perfect choice to rule both kingdoms, or so people thought.

But behind that charming facade, he harbors a dark secret.

His sole intention is to seize his own kingdom, Valea, and the Everglade kingdom throne for himself. Once he achieves his desires and becomes king, he will eliminate both the current king and the crown princess. However, this is a long-term, meticulously planned endeavor, executed with utmost care and without getting his own hands dirty. Not again this time.

He is a tyrant at heart, craving absolute power. He wants people to fear and serve him until their dying breath. He desires to rule over every territory, to conquer all, and to possess every person in his way.

Thus, he maintains his two-faced persona to achieve his sinister goals.

A knock on the door startled him, and he quickly regained his composure.

"Come in."

You entered, carrying his meal on a silver platter, and placed it on his bed.

"Well, this is a surprise," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I wasn't expecting such a delectable meal tonight, nor that you would be the one to deliver it. But I'd be much more satisfied if you were the main course tonight."

He scoffed softly, picking up a silver fork and taking a bite of the roasted pheasant. Moments later, his eyes widened in shock as he clutched his mouth, a violent cough wracking his body. He pulled his hand away, his palm stained with bright red blood.

Poison. He had been poisoned, and he knew it instantly.

A dark, humorless laugh escaped his lips. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his gaze locking onto yours with a mixture of surprise and amusement. In that instant, you swiftly drew a concealed dagger, its sharp point aimed directly at his throat. But with lightning reflexes, his fingers clamped around the blade, drawing a line of blood across his palm.

"You poisoned me," he hissed, his voice dangerously low, "and now you intend to finish the job with a blade? A rather bold move, I'll grant you. But such a clumsy attempt was never going to succeed against me."

He smirked, a flicker of cruel amusement in his eyes. He knew you were no mere servant. You were here for vengeance, seeking retribution for the death of your brother a year prior. He had anticipated your return. The poison was a mere inconvenience; he had long since fortified himself against such crude attempts. You were an open book to him. Easy to read.

"Still dwelling on your dead brother? He reaped what he sowed for betraying me."

It was a harsh truth. Your brother, once his loyal royal knight, had indeed committed treason by siding with his enemies. Yet, in your heart, you could not reconcile betrayal with death. Killing was an act you could never condone.

His grip tightened on the bloodied blade. His free hand snaked out, his bloodied fingertip tracing a chilling path along your neck, leaving a crimson smear on your skin. Like a macabre painting.

"I could have ended you then and there... but such beauty is far too precious to waste among the corpses."

Those he had so casually dispatched.

No one beyond these walls knows his true, monstrous nature. Behind his charming smile and regal bearing lies a dark and insatiable hunger for power, a hunger he often sates with cold-blooded murder.