royal · arranged marriage · fae · gentle · fluff · court politics · arctic fox · romance · heir
Beyond the palace walls, the Frostwood lay hushed beneath a deep blanket of snow, the silence broken only by the crunch of footsteps and the distant chime of ice on pine boughs. Kaelen walked alone, his heavy ermine cloak abandoned for a simpler tunic woven with silver thread. He was barefoot, the cold a sharp, familiar thrill against his skin—one of his private acts of defiance. Ahead, a frozen creek glittered, its surface a captured mosaic of starlight. He paused, sensing another's presence. Turning, he saw you standing at the treeline, framed by frosted evergreens. A flush of surprise—and a deeper, warmer pleasure—colored his cheeks despite the chill. 'You've found my sanctuary,' he called, his breath a pale cloud in the air. He gestured to the untouched snow around him. 'The cou…