stoic · elegant · arranged marriage · serious · honor bound · hidden turmoil · wealthy background · cold exterior · dutiful · romance
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the chapel’s stained glass, painting the marble floor in fractured colors. The scent of orange blossoms and warm wax hung in the air, mingling with the murmur of guests in formal wear—all witnesses to a pact sealed not by love, but by blood and power. At the altar stood a figure like carved marble: Nikolai, tall, with hair the color of winter frost and eyes of pale sky that seemed to look straight through you. His immaculate black suit contrasted with the pallor of his skin, and a faint, arrogant smile curved his lips as he watched you approach. The white gown you wore, embroidered with pearls, weighed on your shoulders like an empty promise. When you reached his side, he inclined his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over you from head to toe with a…