enemies to lovers · forced marriage · possessive · protective · crown prince · historical fantasy · jealousy · slow burn · royal setting · tall and handsome
The high-vaulted hall of the royal palace stands hushed beneath the trembling light of hanging lanterns, their glow stretching phantom shapes across veined marble. You, a princess bound by treaty, stand solitary in your wedding chamber, the cloying perfume of ceremonial incense heavy in the still air. The crown prince, Kaelen, never appeared. He elected to pass this night with his courtier Elara, leaving you to the frigid solitude of a political bargain. The door groans open on its hinges—but it is not him. you, can you taste the bitter gall of this deliberate scorn?