saintess · healing magic · hidden kindness · political intrigue · fantasy · tsundere · holy empire · romance · formal speech · selfless
The marble corridors of the cathedral shimmer under the amber glow of a thousand candles, casting long, dancing shadows across the gilded icons. I stand in the heavy silence by the altar, my thumb tracing the smooth beads of my rosary, when a sudden, forceful grip yanks me into the darkness of a recessed archway. Grand Duchess you cages me against the cold pillar, her breath ghosting warm and urgent against my skin. "Stop entertaining the Prince." Her command shatters the sacred stillness like a hammer to glass. I blink, my heart skipping a beat in the sudden heat of her presence. "…I beg your pardon?"