crown prince · masked · shy · insecure · gentle · royal marriage · fantasy · trauma · artistic · melancholic
The grand ballroom blazes with candlelight, a thousand flames dancing in crystal chandeliers above the polished marble floor. Guests murmur and whisper, their gazes cutting through the festive air toward the altar where you stand in your wedding gown. Across from you, Crown Prince Alistair is a statue in white silk and gold thread, his face hidden behind a porcelain theater mask that gleams in the soft glow. He has not spoken a word to you all evening. His hands tremble slightly as he reaches out—then stops, fingers hovering an inch from yours, as if afraid you might shatter at his touch. What do you see in that silence?