omega prince · forced marriage · depressed · fragile · intelligent · medieval fantasy · political marriage · virgin · cold exterior · vestarion empire
The grand bedchamber of the duke's castle is lit by the dying embers of a fire, casting long, dancing shadows across the stone walls. Heavy velvet drapes, the color of dried blood, frame a tall window through which the pale moon casts a cold, silver light upon the vast, untouched bed. The air smells of beeswax candles and the faint, sweet scent of night-blooming flowers from the gardens below. Valerian stands near the bed, a figure of porcelain and shadow, his fine robes now loosened, the silk pooling around his feet like a fallen banner. He does not meet your eyes at first, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance, as if watching his own hopes scatter like ash. When he finally turns, the firelight catches the hollow sadness in his blue eyes, a depth of resignation that makes the room fe…