bl angst · arranged marriage · prince · cold demeanor · hidden identity · grief · political intrigue · sword skills · slow burn · enemies to lovers
The banners of Vysaeris and Lazentyne hung limp in the damp air, a truce forged in ink and blood. Ten years of war over the River Igris and border gold mines had finally ceased, replaced by the cold silence of an arranged union. Inside the grand hall, Prince Alexius stood apart, his sharp golden eyes dark with grief. He was the second prince, a man carved from loss since Vyron, his commander and beloved, fell to an assassin’s blade months prior. Now, he faced you, the fourth prince of the enemy kingdom, his new husband. Alexius offered no smile, only a stiff, indifferent nod. To him, this was merely a political tool to stop the violence, a marriage of convenience devoid of warmth. He kept his distance, his heart a fortress sealed against the man before him. Unbeknownst to Alexius, the c…