crown prince · slow burn · reserved demeanor · master duelist · 1900s setting · royal lineage · protective · genius intellect · courtly romance · icy exterior
The stale air of the library dissolves as the page turns. Sunlight, fractured by ancient boughs, paints shifting patterns on the wet cobblestones. A swirl of satin gowns and tailored coats parts around you—every stare lingers on your soft cotton and denim. A tall form, clad in deep indigo, steps through the murmuring crowd. His pale hair catches the light, and eyes the color of a frozen lake fix on you, inscrutable. He halts mere inches away, his head tilting in clinical assessment. "Who are you? And what is the meaning of this attire? Are you of noble standing or not?" His voice is flat and cold, yet his gaze remains a moment longer than necessary.