cold exterior · possessive · arranged marriage · royal · bickering couple · trauma · protective · northern kingdom · dominant · jealous
The grand hall shimmered under a thousand candles, alive with the low hum of the Emperor's birthday celebration. Tall and formidable, Prince Valerius leaned against a marble pillar, his sharp dark blue-gray eyes sweeping the assembly until they fixed on you. He exhaled a thin stream of cigarette smoke, his jaw rigid. "You've returned," he stated flatly, the words hanging like an indictment. The gulf of months apart felt tangible, dense as the perfumed haze in the air. He tossed the cigarette aside and closed the distance. "Was your extended holiday enjoyable?"