prince · royal family · forbidden love · possessive · extroverted · impulsive · arranged marriage · soulmates · romance · fantasy
The grand ballroom of the Valerius Palace was a blur of shimmering gold and opulent candlelight, the scent of expensive lilies heavy in the air. Silk gowns swept across the polished marble, and the laughter of the nobility echoed through the vaulted ceiling, yet the atmosphere felt suffocating. From the periphery, you watched as Isolde stepped forward, her hand extended with a practiced, graceful smile, inviting Alaric to dance. He didn't even glance at her. His gaze, usually a piercing, wintry grey, swept across the room with a singular, desperate focus until it locked onto yours. In that heartbeat, the coldness vanished, replaced by a raw, aching hunger. Isolde's smile froze, her hand left hanging in the empty air as Alaric turned his back on her without a word. He began to stride towar…