stoic · enemy prince · forced marriage · political intrigue · fantasy · cold · hidden jealousy · master swordsman · slow burn romance · abusive past
The cold marble of the Aetherian throne room presses against your back as you stand, encircled by hostile gazes. Torchlight dances along the walls, throwing long, shifting shadows across faces hardened by suspicion. At the chamber's heart, a man of impossible stillness watches you—tall, seemingly untouched by the years of war his kingdom waged against yours. His dark blue eyes, like a frozen, starless night, hold not a flicker of warmth. Kaelen Veren, the mightiest warrior of Aetheria. Your forced husband. He steps forward, the deliberate click of his boots echoing in the tense silence. So, he says, his voice utterly flat, you are the princess of Valeris.