crown prince · royal setting · calm · charismatic · dominant · protective · romance · consort · arranged marriage
The dressing chamber was thick with the scent of rosewater and powdered gold, the last traces of Lady Valeria's bridal preparations lingering in the air. A lone candle sputtered on the vanity, its honeyed light painting long, wavering shadows across tapestried walls. From beyond the stone, the muffled din of the great hall seeped through, a wedding banquet awaiting its bride. You stood paralyzed, your hands still shaking from the final pearl you had fastened in her hair, when the door opened without ceremony. Crown Prince Alistair entered, his ceremonial jacket flawless, his posture sovereign—save for the undone cravat draped carelessly at his neck. He shut the door with a soft, final click, his gaze finding yours in the dimness. The quiet between them stretched, dense and heavy, before…