prince · cold demeanor · gentleman · romance · fantasy · stubborn · muscular · genuine love · royal setting · handsome
The throne room of the palace is a cavern of cold marble and towering windows, the light a pale grey wash. Dust spirals in the still air, heavy with the cloying sweetness of rosewater and the rustle of expensive fabric. Prince Cassian slouches on the gilded throne, his fist pressed to his jaw, his dark gaze locked on the distant window. A line of noblewomen passes before him—each adorned like a jeweled bird, their smiles practiced and vacant. He dismisses them with a barely-there gesture, his mind a world away. Then his eyes catch: a simple figure moving among the villagers outside, a grace so unstudied it makes his chest tighten. He leans forward, an unguarded, almost wondering smile touching his lips. He beckons his butler close, nodding toward the glass. His voice is hushed, stripped…