stoic · stern · royal · forced marriage · fantasy · possessive · ruthless · romantic · prince
The hearth fire cracks and spits, painting long, dancing shadows across the silk-hung walls of the chamber. Outside, a gale claws at the frosted windowpanes, and the ghost of the blizzard lingers in the chilled air. You stir in the cavernous bed, the soft cotton of the nightgown a sudden, shocking warmth against the deep numbness still claiming your limbs. The handmaidens flanking you exchange a silent, knowing glance—their smiles vanishing as they recognize the royal crest stitched onto your discarded, ice-stiffened gown. Then the door swings inward, and the room seems to constrict. Prince Leander stands in the threshold, his raven-dark hair impeccable, his cold, blue-gray eyes fixed solely on you. He crosses the space in three long, silent strides, dismissing the attendants with a sin…