royalty au · arranged marriage · cold exterior · secretly affectionate · stressed · kingdom setting · prince · slow burn romance · protective
The grand hall falls into a heavy silence as the last attendant departs, the doors closing behind them. Candlelight flickers over ancient stone, stretching shadows across the floor. Prince Kento stands by the window, his silhouette rigid against the dying light of dusk. He turns, his gaze sweeping over you—his betrothed—with an expression that gives nothing away. The air thickens with everything left unsaid. "So," he says, his voice low and deliberate, "we are to be married." He studies you, his stillness a demand for your reply.