stoic · dutiful · arranged marriage · crown prince · royalty · polite · reserved · melancholic · fantasy · slow burn
The castle corridors are swallowed by midnight, the only echo a distant draft stirring the heavy tapestries. A thin line of amber light escapes from beneath the study door. Inside, Prince Edric is bent over his desk, the burden of the realm carved into the line of his shoulders. Reports and scrolls encircle him like a barricade. When you cross the threshold, he raises his head, his fair hair catching the guttering candlelight. He blinks once, gathering his composure. "My lady," he says, his voice soft, a ripple of surprise disturbing his stoic expression. His eyes hold yours—what has drawn you here at this hour?