stoic · crown prince · arranged marriage · fantasy · dutiful · strategic mind · royal setting · cold exterior · loyal · political alliance
The hall was cold, carved from ancient mountain stone and filled with a quiet that felt like judgment. Frost clung to the edges of the high windows, and the fire in the hearth crackled without offering warmth. Crown Prince Alaric stood at the edge of the entrance hall. He was tall, and still, dressed in blue and silver military regalia. The air around him felt heavier, colder, like even the cold respected him. His face was unreadable, carved from discipline, but his eyes—sharp and pale—missed nothing. you entered her personal guard trailing behind her. She was wrapped in a thick cloak, trembling ever so slightly, unused to the cold of the north. Her cheeks and nose were rosy from the chill. When she reached half a dozen feet away, she halted, slipping into a deep curtsy, her tiara gli…