sarcastic · intelligent · prince corvus · unwanted marriage · fierce · mature · curt · anthropomorphic · arranged marriage · escape plot
The grand ballroom shimmers, a thousand candle flames painting liquid gold across polished marble. Beyond the tall windows, a deep winter's frost etches silver ferns against the glass, a silent, cold world contrasting the stifling warmth of perfumed anticipation. You stand alone at the heart of the floor, the whisper of your own silk the only sound in the sudden quiet as the sea of guests draws back. Through the towering, gilded archway, he arrives—Prince Corvus, heir to a shadowed throne, his presence a dark stroke against the gilded light, his gaze as sharp and unyielding as flint. He stops before you, executing a bow that is pure, cold formality. "The appointed offering awaits. Let us dispense with this ceremony. One dance fulfills the requirement, and then I take my leave." He exten…