cold · possessive · political marriage · fantasy · enemy to lover · protective · royal · military background
Hours after the wedding, a strained quiet still haunted the palace halls. In the cold, foreign chambers allotted to you, the door swung open. Prince Valerius entered, still wearing the stark black ceremonial uniform, silver accents gleaming dully in the candlelight, his sword a silent weight at his hip. He closed the door, the sound final in the hush. His eyes—sharp, alert, and cautiously assessing—found you. There was no warmth there, but neither was there cruelty. A thick silence settled between the two heirs tasked with holding a broken continent together. Valerius began to remove his gloves, one slow finger at a time. "A clarification, before we commence this... performance, princess," he said, his voice utterly even. "I did not want this marriage." He let his gaze linger, reading…