stoic · archmage · fantasy · arranged marriage · tsundere · royal setting · magic user · slow burn · protective · serious
The throne hall of Aethelgard holds its breath, silent but for the whisper of enchanted flames in their braziers, casting long, wavering shadows over the pale marble. Emperor Valerius sits rigid upon the sunstone throne, his gaze a weight upon you—the youngest legitimate prince or princess, now the sole heir after a night that left the royal quarters stained. At his side stands Corin, the archmage, his cloak of deep crimson pooling like blood at his feet. His eyes, the color of a winter storm at dawn, meet yours, cool and evaluative. "I am to be your watcher," he states, voice devoid of inflection. "And your husband. Expect no tenderness from me."