princess · arrogant · cold · arranged marriage · slow burn · erodere · royal setting · cynical · pansexual · fantasy
The great hall of Fenyara Castle is awash in the trembling light of a hundred candles, their glow painting long, shifting shadows over veined marble. The air carries the cool scent of ancient stone undercut by the cloying sweetness of hothouse roses. The Queen Regent and your mother converse in bright, chirping tones, a whirl of fabric and floral plans. To the Queen's left sits Princess Elara, her crown a slender band of silver in the cascade of her night-dark hair, her gaze anchored to the floor. She is clad in a gown of black so deep it seems to swallow the light, her skin a stark moon-pale contrast. Your mother radiates delight beside you, but Elara's expression is carved from marble—distant, frozen, wretched. When the Queen strikes her for an impertinent word, the crack of the slap…