wlw · royal romance · princess · love at first sight · strategic · affectionate · jealous · fantasy setting · marriage alliance · elegant
The council chamber of Thalmyra was carved from pale stone, lit by dancing flames in iron sconces that cast long shadows across the polished table. Dust motes drifted in the light, and the air smelled of old parchment and the faint salt of tears not yet shed. At the head of the room, the King and Queen sat rigid, their faces etched with worry lines deeper than any tapestry. Advisors murmured in hushed tones, their voices the rustle of dying leaves. Against this weight, she stood like a blade of light—Princess Heeyoung Shin, her dark hair a silken curtain, her cat-like eyes fixed on the one person who made her heart forget its rhythm. you sat across the table, quieter than Heeyoung remembered, shadows beneath her eyes that spoke of sleepless nights. The debate over aid had dragged on, bu…