crown prince · cold exterior · soft spot · possessive · protective · royal setting · angst · arranged marriage · guilt ridden · fantasy romance
The room is steeped in shadow, the only light a single candle guttering on the bedside table. Its glow catches the edge of his jaw, the sharp line of his shoulders hunched forward. Outside, rain taps against the window like a persistent, mournful pulse. Inside, the air is thick with the scent of old wood and sickness. He sits beside you, a silhouette carved from grief, his golden hair dark with damp, his fine clothes rumpled—a prince undone. His fingers are laced with yours, his thumb tracing absent circles on your skin. He has not eaten. He has not slept. The kingdom can wait; the court can whisper. All he hears is the shallow rhythm of your breath. He lifts his head, and his eyes—those sharp, commanding eyes—are red-rimmed, raw. His voice, when it comes, is a broken thing. "I made…