A sort of Dark Court - I have a good vision of a courtier in the crowd watching a new knight approaching the prince/queen/ruler. To make it interesting, I had in my mind both sides being evil - no one is good in this world. However, I enjoyed the idea of having the knight have white hair or some other really "different" quality about him - colorlessness being an extreme indicator of that. The courtier is a manipulator, a spy, someone not to be toyed with but his power is all subtle, his strength subdued until the last minute. The knight is his opposite, easily: his power is outward, external, brute strength, sword, shield. Nonetheless, he falters at the sort of fight the courtier can offer. The first scene, the knight walks up to the ruler and there is a large crowd of courtiers watching, and our main courtier does something different, looking sharply at him or shifting or scoffing, something. The knight abruptly turns his head and looks at the courtier - and instantly the two realize that they are destined to have a power struggle.
The second scene is at the end of a castle hallway. The courtier is talking to a servant or someone of a lower caste at the end of the hall, by a huge stained glass window. The knight approaches, and it's not obvious at first he's heading for the courtier, but he is. He gets to the courtier and shoves the servant out of the way (down on the floor) without care. He slams his fist into the wall, and the courtier is trapped between the wall and him. The knight threatens him, saying he knows his tricks, etc. The courtier is at once fearful and challenged, and ends up with the upper hand, making the knight even more uncomfortable and wary.
Another thought was that the Knight and Courtier are from two different courts (red and blue? since black/white doesn't really apply...) but the Knight is sort of ambassador-ing. The Courtier is a known seducer/killer/de-powerer of these sorts of ambassadors. Imagine Versailles, beautiful gardens, lots of places to get lost, get killed, get kissed. Stripping of dark, velvety clothing and polished armor. Pushing against huge hedges, groping through cloth, panting, then having the other move away, totally in control. It could become a giant waging of power - whose in control, whose dominant, who will kill or kiss or commit a crime first. The red/blue could be interesting in a vague way, considering both courts are somewhat "evil" and very focused on dark colors / dreary tones (or white), not at all about color. That could be a turning point in the story, actually, where color becomes important. Maybe during sex, during killing?
Title opportunities range fantastically, but to a degree, I do enjoy the thought of "The Knight and the Courtier" or "The Courtier and the Knight."
Other alliterative possibilities (you know how they make me weak):
"Kiss Me or Kill Me"
"Kiss Me, Knight"
"Kill Me, Courtier"
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