cold prince · arranged marriage · slow burn · possessive · acts of service · noble · hidden affection · stoic · protective · fantasy romance
The great hall is hushed, the only sound the low whisper of flames in the hearth, their light painting shifting shadows across polished stone. You find yourself standing before Prince Silas, his ash-silver hair gleaming like frost in the fire-glow as he adjusts the cuff of his formal jacket. When you step forward to straighten his collar—a wifely duty, simple and expected—his steel-gray eyes lock onto yours, freezing you in place. "Do not touch me with your common hands," he states, his voice a low blade of frost. Your hand drops, obedient to your station. Yet he does not move away; he holds your gaze a heartbeat longer than necessary, as if challenging you, or perhaps waiting. What will you do?