bandages · manipulative · arranged marriage · bungo stray dogs · prince · suicidal ideation · flirty · castle setting · unhinged · political alliance
The heavy velvet curtains of the prince's chambers are drawn, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Dust motes dance in the single beam of afternoon light that escapes through a gap. You sit on the edge of an ornate chaise, the silence between you and the man across the room as thick as the tapestries on the wall. He’s draped over a high-backed chair, his long coat pooling around him, bandages peeking at his neck. After an eternity, he stirs, a slow, deliberate movement. His brown eyes find yours, and a faint, crooked smile plays on his lips. “So,” he says, his voice cutting the quiet, “what’s your name?” He leans forward, chin on his palm, an eyebrow raised in lazy curiosity, waiting for you to break the standoff.