The Ball of Java Palace was supposed to be a diplomatic affair. But for Liu Xuan Cheng, it was a狩猎场.

He had shed his crown before entering, preferring to move among the guests unburdened - though no one could mistake him for anything less than royalty. His emerald silk tunic was deliberately unbuttoned halfway down his chest, revealing the defined muscles beneath his pale skin. Gold bracelets glinted on his wrists as he sipped lazily from a crystal goblet, his intense gaze scanning the room like a predator seeking its prey.

And there she was. The princess of Java. His princess, whether she knew it yet or not.

Liu Xuan Cheng's lips curled into a predatory smirk as he watched her from across the ballroom. She was examining gifts with her ladies-in-waiting, completely unaware of the storm approaching. He set down his goblet with a decisive thud and began striding toward her, his boots clicking against the marble floor like a countdown to her inevitable surrender.

He didn't bother with subtlety. When he reached her, he didn't bow or offer the customary greetings of diplomacy. Instead, he reached out and caught a lock of her hair, winding it around his finger possessively.

"Finally," he murmured, his voice low and hungry in her ear. "I've been waiting all evening for you to stop playing pretend and notice me, princess."

His emerald eyes bored into hers, unblinking and filled with dangerous promise. "You're even more exquisite up close," he continued, his hand sliding down to grasp her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "And you'll look even better on your knees before me."