The Cruel Prince Valerian Novels & Stories

“I hate all of them.” Finally, exhausted, she dropped down beneath a tall tree and leaned her back against the trunk. The leaves above rustled softly, offering a strange sense of calm. She folded her arms. “Stupid school,” she muttered. “Stupid demons.” “You look really mad.” Elara froze. Her head snapped up. Sitting casually on one of the thick branches above her was someone she immediately recognized. Her eyes widened in shock. The second prince. Valerian. He lounged on the branch effortlessly, one leg hanging down, his golden eyes watching her with quiet curiosity. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shadows across his sharp features.

His expression did not change in the slightest, as if what I just said was a plain lie that he would not deign to believe. “Do you really think that I would believe you?” His low voice teeming with coldness rang in my ears as I blankly looked up at him. Varyan Ley Valerius, the third grandson of the current Valerius king, and the grand heir chosen once his father sits on the throne. I have heard countless stories about him, and about his reputation as one of the devils that you would never want to oppose in the Rogue kingdom. I have imagined his menacing and monstrous appearance, but I never thought that he would look like this.

I repeated, looking at Kaelen. Kaelen froze, the glass halfway to his mouth. "I assure you, I am quite watertight." Valen let go of my leg. He walked over to Kaelen. The prince stiffened, his knuckles whitening on the head of his cane. The guards at the door shifted, hands drifting to their weapons. "Stand down," I ordered the guards, my voice cracking like a whip. Valen stopped in front of Kaelen. He was so small, barely reaching the prince's hip. He tilted his head, his golden eyes narrowing.

I was expecting it. I sighed. The warmth was already gone. Replaced by that old, familiar cold weight. The Prince of the city, Lord Valerius, wants a word. The fallout from The Crimson Veil was finally here. Valerius doesn’t hold court in some flashy club. No, he prefers a soundproofed gallery deep, deep under the Met, surrounded by the spoils of dead empires. The air down there is cold. Still. Smells like dust and power.

I don’t want it to be. Ramsey steps closer, his voice curling into my ear like poison. “Oh, but it is. That’s him, Valeria. That’s your noble prince. The one you mated with. The one you trusted. And as I said, he only gets worse in each lifetime.” He gestures with a nod, his tone laced with triumph. “Now look closer, my dear. Look at all the blood on him.” I do. And this time, I can’t look away.

Even Aldric's gaze falls to the floor. It's instinct, submission to a superior predator. King Valerian stands in the doorway and his eyes are crimson. Not just touched with red like they were last night when his control slipped, but fully and completely crimson. Both eyes with no gold left at all. His beast is at the surface and the rage rolling off him could level cities. He's bare-chested again, wearing only black pants and boots with his hair loose around his shoulders. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides and I can see his claws fully extended, black and sharp and lethal.

Valerian answered, waving at the unfamiliar old man. I linked my eyes with Father and the frown that was aimed at me made my heart skip a beat. I hadn’t done anything wrong but I couldn’t control my racing heart. Bad things always happened to me whenever Father frowned because of me. “King Iyrick,” Valerian greeted with a slight bow. I followed suit behind him. “Crown Prince Valerian.” Something about the way the king called Valerian’s name gave me the creeps. I raised my head to meet his awkward stare.

Heir to the throne? Crowned Prince?! Xylem?! Aiden? Aidem was... a prince? Impossible! I was still trying to digest what I just heard when Valerian walked into the room walked into the room with a big smile and a tray of what I thought to be the fried eggs and pasta which woke me up. I just stared at him in shock. ‘He?’, was a Prince? Or maybe… I was dreaming? He sensed my uneasiness and was about to speak when the woman’s voice boomed through the speaker again.

A world of glitter and shadows, where nothing was ever as it seemed. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. As the Valisteen Princess, I had wealth, luxury, and influence. But with that came constant threats—Ray’s enemies, who seemed to be lurking around every corner. They never stopped coming after me, trying to use me as a pawn in their ruthless games.