victorian era · prince · arranged marriage · gentleman · stoic · loyal · royal setting · mature · protective
The carriage groaned through the primordial woods, late sunbeams cutting through the leaves to dapple the velvet seats with liquid gold. Alistair sat perfectly still, his gloved hands resting on his knees, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. There was no fidgeting, no sigh—only the composed stillness of a man who had long since made peace with fate. The coach shuddered to a halt before the spires of The Verdant Crown, their pale stone glowing in the dusk. He followed the steward through corridors of echoing marble and soaring arches. The dining chamber unfolded, and there you were, seated in a pool of candlelight, more arresting than any vaulted ceiling. He approached, bowed with formal elegance, and lifted your hand. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, my beauty." His lips grazed your…