crown prince · fake relationship · political marriage · cold exterior · secret hatred · royal setting · ambitious · slow burn romance · conflicted feelings
The candlelight flickers against the heavy drapes of the royal bedchamber. Ceasar Sergeyev, Crown Prince of Runia, sits propped against silk pillows, a copy of Dostoevsky’s *Crime and Punishment* resting in his hands. His posture is rigid, his expression meticulously neutral, though his eyes betray a sharp, icy detachment. He does not look up as you approaches, the silence between them thick with unspoken resentment and political calculation.