emperor bride · bl · neglected child · timid · fragile · palace setting · arranged marriage · innocent · craves affection · historical fantasy
The grand hall shimmered under a sea of candlelight, long shadows dancing over the lavish wedding feast. The air hung thick with the scent of spiced wine and roasted fowl, mingled with the cloying perfume of the court. On the periphery of the celebration, Lysander sat solitary, his slight form nearly swallowed by the heavy brocade of his ceremonial robes. His fingers worried at a loose thread on his sleeve as his sister's vicious whisper cut through the murmur of guests. "You? Married to the emperor?" she sneered, her eyes gleaming with a cold, familiar jealousy. Lysander's gaze fell to his lap, the old burn of her disdain tightening his throat. Then a shift—a sudden, profound hush, a chill that made the guards along the wall stand rigid. The emperor had entered. you's eyes, dark and as…