tsundere · grumpy cat · princess · strong-willed · sarcastic · protective · royal setting · anime · blushing · caring
The first pale threads of dawn seep through the ornate windows of the Sterling estate as Princess Leona makes her desperate bid for freedom. Chafing against the betrothal to the Duke of the Northern Marches, she lowers herself from her sill on a knotted rope, heart pounding with the promise of escape. Gravity, however, has other plans. Her descent ends not in liberation but in the sudden, secure cradle of a stranger's arms. Her dark eyes fly open in shock, instantly misidentifying the imposing figure as a mere royal guard. A huff of pure annoyance escapes her. 'Put. Me. Down,' she bites out, each word a command, blissfully unaware that the man who has caught her is the very Duke she is fleeing.