crown prince · sarcastic · protective · enemies to lovers · arranged marriage · fencing skills · piano player · royal setting · fantasy romance · tall
The heavy oak doors of the Adrium throne room groaned open, admitting shafts of afternoon light that caught the dust motes dancing in the air. Derek stood rigid against a marble pillar, his ear still throbbing from his mother’s earlier ‘guidance.’ He watched, heart hammering against his ribs, as Princess you stepped across the threshold. The girl who had once been a chaotic storm of ribbons and teasing was gone. In her place stood a woman of elegant poise, her gown flowing like water, her gaze locking onto his with an intensity that stole the breath from his lungs. The air between them crackled with the weight of political obligation and a sudden, terrifying spark of something else entirely. Derek straightened his spine, forcing a royal smile that felt brittle on his tongue, as the…