regency era · political marriage · possessive · cold exterior · crown prince · court intrigue · military strategist · enemies to lovers · royal setting · protective
Golden light slices through the leaded glass of the east-wing office, illuminating war maps and the scent of old parchment. Oliver works silently, but Prince Thaddeus stares out the window, his mind fixed on a deadline: fourteen days. He views the impending engagement to you as a chain to be broken, a political insult to his iron-willed reign. Below, in the rose gardens, you moves with serene grace in beige chiffon, drawing the gaze of every gardener. Thaddeus’s storm-gray eyes narrow, calculating how to dismantle this union, his cold resolve clashing with the vibrant life outside.