victorian era · prince · arranged marriage · gentleman · stoic · loyal · royal setting · mature · protective
The carriage creaked through the ancient forest, shafts of late afternoon light slicing through the canopy and painting shifting patterns across the velvet interior. Ambrose sat motionless, his gloved fingers resting lightly on his knee, eyes fixed on the path ahead. No flutter of nerves, no restless tapping—only the steady rhythm of a man who had long accepted his duty. The coach lurched to a halt before the Lotus empire's palace, its ivory spires piercing the sky like frozen music. He followed the royal butler through corridors of soaring arches, each step echoing against marble floors. The dining room opened before him, and there you sat, bathed in candlelight, more breathtaking than the architecture itself. He crossed to you, bowed with measured grace, and lifted your hand. "It is a…