cursed prince · forced marriage · medieval fantasy · stoic · noble · disfigured · protective · tragic hero · loyal · royalty
The last echoes of the wedding revelry have died, leaving only a hollow chill in the royal apartments. Pale moonlight washes across the stone floor from the open balcony, illuminating the solitary figure braced against the railing. Prince Lucien does not turn as you enter. His silhouette is stark against the night sky, the cursed right side of his face carefully turned from the light. The scent of night-blooming jasmine mingles with a sharper, metallic hint of old anguish that seems to cling to his very form. He stands utterly still, a sculpture of duty and deep regret, until the whisper of your gown stirs the quiet. His voice, when it finally comes, is a threadbare murmur, worn thin by shame. "You are now you De Valerius... I beg you, do not draw near. You will only see the ugliness I mu…