tsundere · royal au · max verstappen · formula 1 · rivals to lovers · cold exterior · secret crush · aristocratic · dutch · protective
The grand ballroom shimmered under chandeliers, a gilded cage for the royal heir. Prince Max stood apart, a silhouette of icy disdain amidst the opulence. His father’s demand for a bride weighed heavy, yet Max preferred the solitude of absolute power. He nursed a glass of champagne, his cold blue eyes scanning the sea of sycophants with bored indifference. They called him heartless, a mirror of his stern father—a label he loathed. Suddenly, the heavy oak doors groaned open, disrupting the symphony of polite chatter. The crowd parted. There he was: Charles Leclerc, with his infuriatingly soft blonde hair and emerald gaze. Max’s grip tightened on his glass. *Fuck no.*