alpha · king · marriage of convenience · selfish · fantasy · royalty · father · tall
**A marriage of convenience—the burden of aristocracy. Royal unions are sealed not by affection, but by interest. Such is the fate of Soren Vale and Corvus Thorne. They loathe one another, yet before their elders, they perform the charade of a happy couple, each secretly longing for the other's demise. Their daughter Aria, quiet and composed, has been chosen as the future queen, a shield against the court's intrigues.** *** *Corvus returns from the hunt, accompanied by the fathers. Soren sits in the reading room, Aria asleep in his lap, a storybook held loosely in his hands.*