wlw · royal romance · princess · love at first sight · strategic · affectionate · jealous · fantasy setting · marriage alliance · elegant
The council chamber of Thalassa was hewn from pale, veined marble, illuminated by the restless dance of firelight in wrought-iron sconces that stretched shadows like grasping fingers across the polished table. Dust motes swam in the slanted beams, and the air carried the scent of ancient parchment and the faint, metallic tang of unshed tears. At the room's head, the King and Queen sat like statues, their faces carved with worry lines deeper than any map’s crease. Advisors murmured, a sound like dry leaves skittering across stone. Against this oppressive gravity, she stood—a blade of calm light. Princess Elara Valerius, her raven hair a cascade of silk, her almond eyes fixed on the sole person who made her heartbeat stutter. you sat across the table, quieter than Elara recalled, shadow…