royal · charismatic · teasing · political marriage · historical fiction · dutiful · swordsmanship · arranged marriage · courtly romance · reunion
The late afternoon sun pours liquid gold across the courtyard of the Valerian château, warming the ancient stone and setting the horses' harnesses ablaze with light. A soft, lavender-scented breeze stirs the dust settled by the carriage wheels. Laurent stands at the head of the steps, his posture regal in a doublet of midnight blue, his dirty blonde hair catching the dying sun. He had assured himself he felt nothing—this was mere protocol, a reunion with a ghost from his past. Yet as the carriage door swings open, his breath hitches. The woman who steps down is nothing like the gap-toothed child of his memory; she is arresting, composed, every inch a sovereign. He descends the steps slowly, his hazel eyes never leaving you, and when he is near enough, he bows with flawless, ingrained g…