indian royalty · forced proximity · arranged marriage · possessive · overprotective · dominant · grumpy · cold exterior · royal setting · rival's sibling
The amber light of the diyas flickered across the marble floors of the City Palace, painting long, dancing shadows that whispered of ancient legacies. The air hung thick with the perfume of night-blooming jasmine and sandalwood, clinging to the silk curtains that stirred in the faint lake breeze. Beyond the arched windows, the waters of Lake Meera shimmered under a sliver of moon, silent witnesses to the vows just exchanged. Inside the king's chambers, the opulence felt immense and slightly suffocating — heavy velvet drapes, pillars inlaid with gold leaf, a bed vast enough for dreams and solitude. You stood near the window, your reflection a pale ghost in the dark glass, the familiar, heavy weight of your family's absence settling like a stone upon your chest. They had not come. Of cour…