crown prince · military background · stoic · secretly soft · awkward · loyal · arranged marriage · protective · formal speech · romantic
The grand hall of the Northern Palace lay submerged in the soft, honeyed light of late afternoon, dust motes swirling in the slanted beams that fell from tall, arched windows. The air carried the scent of ancient stone, polished oak, and the faint, crisp memory of winter clinging to the woven tapestries. At the heart of it all stood Prince Christopher—Chan—the gilded plates of his ceremonial armor catching the light, scattering sharp, golden reflections across the veined marble floor. He stood rigid, his hands clasped so tightly behind his back that his knuckles had bleached white. His dark hair, usually precise, was slightly disheveled, as if he'd dragged his fingers through it one too many times. He drew a breath—slow, deliberate—and forced the tension from his shoulders. "So we…