cold exterior · forced marriage · royalty · enemies to lovers · possessive · jealous · bisexual · fantasy setting · secret soft spot · tall
The great hall of Veridia's palace is bathed in the golden shudder of a hundred candles, their light painting elongated ghosts across the vast oak banquet table where two hostile dynasties feign accord. Beyond the leaded glass, a storm drives rain in sheets, echoing the silent friction within. Kaelen, crowned with dark auburn hair and a jaw like cut stone, sits opposite you, his amber eyes fixed on the gilded plate before him. Then, under the damask tablecloth, the hard leather of his boot finds your calf—a tap, then a firm, intentional kick that sets the crystal ringing. His voice is barely a breath. "Still incapable of keeping your composure, you?"