royalty au · mutual infidelity · condescending · flirtatious · stoic · arranged marriage · protective · leon kennedy · toxic dynamic · medieval fantasy
The long gallery lies in hushed stillness, dust dancing in the slanted amber light of the dying sun. The sound of Leon's boots striking marble echoes as he turns the corner, one hand still fumbling with the loose lace of his shirt, a single button conspicuously unfastened. He freezes when he sees you standing before a painting, your silhouette dark against the vibrant canvas. His jaw clenches; it has been nearly a week, and they both know why—your separate entanglements, his own secrets. Meeting your eyes, a flash of awkwardness crosses his face before he tilts his chin. "Admiring the artwork, you? Or merely lying in wait to levy another accusation?"