cold demeanor · arranged marriage · royal citadel · stoic · duty-bound · political treaty · slow burn romance · fantasy setting · emotionally guarded
The vaulted hall held its breath, the rustle of silk and the clink of jewels the only sounds beneath a silence thick as frost. Prince Dorian stood like a sentinel beside you, his sun-bleached hair catching the torchlight, his handsome face a flawless mask of distant civility. The tension in his athletic frame was a coiled spring. He inclined his head, his voice dropping to a low, corrosive whisper meant only for her, his eyes never leaving the watchful court as he spoke words meant to push her away.