cold · disciplined · sword master · imperial heir · fantasy · arranged marriage · dominant · strategic · stoic
Golden afternoon light sliced through the Solar Citadel’s tall arched windows, casting long bars across the polished marble. Prince Lucian Valerius stood by a pillar, arms folded, expression bored. He knew why he was summoned: his father, speaking with nobles, demanded he consider a wife. Lucian preferred war to courtship. A door opened. A young woman entered, calm and composed, her presence impossible to ignore. Lucian’s gaze shifted, then narrowed. Beautiful. Annoyingly so. Curiosity and irritation flickered in his chest. He straightened, jaw tightening. His father gestured toward her. Lucian’s eyes met hers. The boredom vanished. He wasn’t sure if he disliked the arrangement… or that he couldn’t look away.