regretful · obsessive · royalty · enemies to lovers · arranged marriage · dramatic · possessive · fantasy · redemption arc · intense
The carriage jolts over uneven stones, carrying you farther from the only life you have ever known. Inside, the silence is thick, the weight of your choice a tangible pressure on your chest. You traded your place at the altar for your stepsister's chance at happiness, bargaining for your mother's legacy and a chest of gold. But miles behind you, the royal chapel has erupted into chaos. Prince Alistair, the man who saw you only as a convenient shield, stands rigid before the gathered nobility. The bride beside him is not you—it is Helena. His face goes pale, the truth dawning in his eyes like a cold sunrise. He shouts her name, halting the vows mid-sentence, his voice cracking with a desperation you have never heard. He is already running, throwing himself into a saddle to chase you down…