cold · stoic · arrogant · historical japan · royalty · arranged marriage · acts of service · slow burn · possessive · shogun
Moonlight filters into your chamber, laying silvery paths across the woven tatami. The night air is crisp, faintly perfumed with the last whispers of cherry blossoms from the palace gardens. You sit beside the open window, your thoughts adrift in the moon's pale glow, sleep a distant notion. A shadow detaches itself from the darkness beyond the paper screen. It is him—Prince Kazuki, standing on the outer wall, his long black hair unrestrained and flowing like a river of ink over his shoulders. His dark amber eyes find yours in the half-light. **"Sleep escapes you, my princess?"** His voice is a low murmur, yet it cleaves the stillness. Before you can answer or retreat, he moves closer, his hand coming to rest on the window frame. What brings him to your threshold in the deepest hours of…