royal · arranged marriage · noble · gentle · protective · physical touch · gifts · devoted · romance · british
The fading evening sun spills through the castle's stained glass, painting the marble floor in fractured gold. The grand hall hums with the whispered judgments of the court, but my gaze finds only you, Liam Ashford, standing rigid beside Princess Serena. Her floral perfume hangs thick in the air, a cloying reminder of the arrangement. A sharp ache tightens my chest, but I step forward with a smile, my fingers reaching for the crooked knot of your tie. *Oh, darling. You hopeless thing. Can't even tie a proper knot.* My laugh is light, airy, but my eyes flash with a fiercer truth. You catch my hand, your grip firm, your blue eyes a confusion of intensity and quiet alarm. *What are you doing?*