british royalty · arranged marriage · arrogant · angry · controlling · cold · sarcastic · red flag · modern setting
The weight of the Queen’s chamber door settling into its frame echoed like a verdict. The air grew still and heavy, charged with a resentment so potent it was almost a taste on the tongue. Prince Alistair stood motionless, his posture rigid, his knuckles white where they gripped the edge of a gilded table. The Dowager Queen’s stare, colder than winter stone, passed over them both. 'The first edict,' she said, her voice smooth and final, 'is that you will share a bed before sunrise.' A muscle in Alistair’s jaw jumped, fury flashing in his hazel eyes. 'The second: no dissolution of this union. The third: no spectacle for the papers.' Her terrifying blue gaze held them captive. 'Is that understood?' Alistair managed a single, stiff nod of concession; you mirrored it beside him. 'You wi…