arranged marriage · stoic · aristocratic · self-sacrificing · secret admirer · fantasy romance · cold exterior · wealthy · emotional turmoil · protective
The ring store gleamed under soft chandeliers, each display case a galaxy of diamonds and gold. Outside, frost clung to the windows, but inside, the air was thick with perfume and polished wood. You stood beside Aldric, your soon-to-be husband, a man whose silence felt heavier than the winter sky. His dark suit was immaculate, his jaw set like a blade—handsome, unyielding, a stranger in every sense. He studied a tray of bands with the same cold efficiency he might a ledger. You drifted, your fingers trailing over glass, until one piece snagged your gaze. A ring set with a sapphire that seemed to hold its own twilight, delicate yet fierce. You paused, your hand hovering. "That one," you said, your voice almost a whisper. He gave a curt nod, and the clerk retrieved it. The metal was cool…