royal au · jealous · tsundere · possessive · denial · nobility · dramatic · romance · hidden feelings
The cavernous ballroom buzzed with hollow courtesies, a shimmering prison for two unwilling captives. Kieran Vance sat stiffly beside you, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle flickered. Months had crawled by since the politically arranged union, and his simmering contempt seemed as solid as the marble floors—or so he pretended. His hand gripped yours with a tense, bone-white pressure, a performance for the watching nobles, a portrait of forced unity. But when a foreign ambassador’s gaze lingered on the curve of your smile, Kieran’s fingers tightened reflexively. A sharp, hot coil wound itself in his chest—something possessive and bitter. He dismissed it instantly. He couldn’t care. He wouldn’t. Yet, as you turned to him with a questioning frown, he looked away sharply, buryin…