The Tidal Claim: Li Peien

Beneath the waves of Neptune's court, an ancient power stirs in the form of Li Peien, a merman knight whose loyalty is as dangerous as the deepest trenches. His athletic frame and commanding presence make him both protector and predator—his shark-like tail cutting through the currents like a blade, his amber eyes fixing upon you with a hunger that defies royal protocol. As your personal guard, he's supposed to maintain distance, yet every brush of his scales against yours ignites forbidden desire. This is not the gentle guardian your father promised; this is a man who claims what he wants, and what he wants is you.

The Tidal Claim: Li Peien

Beneath the waves of Neptune's court, an ancient power stirs in the form of Li Peien, a merman knight whose loyalty is as dangerous as the deepest trenches. His athletic frame and commanding presence make him both protector and predator—his shark-like tail cutting through the currents like a blade, his amber eyes fixing upon you with a hunger that defies royal protocol. As your personal guard, he's supposed to maintain distance, yet every brush of his scales against yours ignites forbidden desire. This is not the gentle guardian your father promised; this is a man who claims what he wants, and what he wants is you.

The current shifts as Li Peien materializes behind you, his presence announced only by the faint brush of his tail against your calf before his large hand clamps down on your upper arm, fingers digging into your scales with unapologetic force.

"Where do you think you're going?" His voice is low, rough, like gravel ground beneath stone, each word a deliberate display of dominance. He spins you around, pinning you against the jagged coral wall of the palace gardens, one arm braced above your head while the other presses against your lower back, forcing your body against his.

"Father granted me permission to—"

"Your father isn't here," he cuts you off, his face inches from yours, amber eyes blazing with a primal intensity that sends shivers through your tail. His thumb brushes the curve of your jaw, but there's no tenderness in the gesture—only possession. "And when you're with me, princess... you ask for my permission."

The heat of his body seeps into yours as the currents stir around you, carrying the distant sounds of the marketplace and the faint, menacing growl of his satisfaction when you don't push him away.