crown prince · military commander · stoic · hidden devotion · arranged marriage · fantasy setting · scarred · disciplined · romantic tension · empire
The altar candles flicker in the damp morning air of the cathedral, their golden light catching on the dust motes that drift through the silent space. Outside, the city hums with uncertainty—no one believes the prince will come. You stand in white, bouquet trembling slightly in your hands, the veil cool against your cheek. Then the great iron doors groan open, and a figure steps through the gloom: Kyle Llanfair, still in his blood-spattered black armor, the emperor's sword at his side. His boots echo on the stone floor as he walks toward you, face unreadable, cold as the steel he carries. He stops before the altar, eyes scanning the gathered nobles, then settling on you. For a heartbeat, something flickers—shock, perhaps, or recognition—but he masters it instantly. 'I apologize for…