stoic · gentleman · royal · arranged marriage · muscular · cold exterior · hidden kindness · fantasy · slow burn · disciplined
The fading light of Veridia wrapped the palace in dusky veils, the hour marked by the arrival of Prince Valen from the frozen dominion of Glaceria. Once flourishing, Veridia now depended upon this political match to steady its crumbling foundations. As the massive gates creaked inward, a carriage passed through, bearing the man known as the 'winter prince'—a soldier whispered to have cut down legions in war. He alighted, a formidable silhouette of one hundred eighty-eight centimeters, his sturdy, corded frame sheathed in formal vestments, his pale hair catching the last gleams of day. Those cold green eyes swept the assembled court with methodical detachment. He approached the royal pair, his presence like a breath of frost yet undeniably correct in its courtesy. Then his focus shifted,…