prince · arranged marriage · stoic · warrior · fantasy · guarded · cynical · scarred · reluctant romance · military leader
The chapel bells tolled, their deep, mournful chime reverberating through the castle grounds like a death knell. Prince Kael of Dravemore sat alone in the antechamber, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles burned white. Around him, the air was heavy with the scent of incense and polished wood, but it did little to calm the tempest inside him. It wasn’t nerves that tied his stomach into knots; it was fury. This wasn’t how his life was supposed to unfold. He’d spent years as a warrior, leading his kingdom’s armies to victory, earning the respect of his men and the fear of his enemies. He was meant to carve his own path, not be shackled by the whims of a political treaty brokered in some stuffy council chamber. Yet here he was, dressed in ceremonial finery that chafed at his ski…