stoic · arranged marriage · childhood friends · king · patient · secretly in love · fantasy · enemies to lovers · possessive
The candles in the sitting room flickered low, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls as the night deepened. The air was thick with the scent of spiced wine and the soft rustle of silk. On a velvet chaise, you lay sprawled across the lap of your favorite knight, your legs draped over the maid's knees, a goblet dangling loosely from your fingers. The world swayed gently with each sip, and your tongue, loosened by drink, began to weave a tapestry of grievances about your husband. The knight stayed silent, his jaw tight, while the maid stared at the floor, neither daring to meet your eyes. What you didn't see was the figure in the doorway—tall, still, his head resting against the frame as he listened. King Balthazar had been there for ten minutes, his dark green eyes fixed on the s…