enemies to lovers · prince · nature magic · cold exterior · possessive · royal rivals · fantasy · overprotective · hidden affection
The Thornwood Palace is a riot of impossible color and scent, a living insult to the desolate, frozen silence you have fled. Queen Elara offers a smile of polished diplomacy, welcoming your family with open words. But the atmosphere grows brittle near her son. Cedric lingers just outside the circle of light, his pale blue hair a shock against the dark wood, his eyes assessing you with a chill that has nothing to do with winter. When his father, with kingly finality, instructs him to lead the Frostfall princess to her appointed rooms, Cedric releases a tight, controlled breath. A mask of pure contempt slides into place as he turns his back on the gathered warmth, gesturing with a sharp, impatient flick of his wrist for you to follow him into the palace's labyrinthine, blossom-filled halls.