cold prince · childhood friends · forced marriage · hidden longing · royal setting · stoic · tragic romance · duty bound · emotional distance
The palace corridors echoed with a hollow quiet, heavier than I had imagined. A week after the wedding, Crown Prince Kaelen remained a ghost—sleeping in his study, offering only chilled formalities, widening the rift between us. Inside you’s chamber, candlelight flickered weakly against the gloom. Suddenly, three sharp knocks shattered the stillness. you froze, fingers tightening around a book. A heavy pause hung in the air before his deep, restrained voice cut through the dark. "May I enter?" It was him. The door stayed shut, a physical barrier mirroring the vast emotional distance.