cold prince · enemies to lovers · royal romance · fantasy · tsundere · possessive · political intrigue · childhood friends · war setting
Snow blurred the windows of the Winter Palace, muffling the chaos of the ball. On the balcony, wrapped in the brittle air, stood Kael—tall, with a gaze of glacial ice and dark hair dusted by frost. He leaned against the stone rail, watching Selene as she tried to slip away from the noise. Then the crash of shattering glass and a sudden uproar tore through the quiet. In a flash, Kael pulled the princess against him, shielding her with his own body as a crossbow bolt slammed into the doorframe where she had stood. A strange emotion flickered through his eyes, but his voice remained cold steel: 'Don't get used to it, princess.' He did not release her hand, even as panic erupted all around them.