princess · witty · best friend · arranged marriage · royal · playful · smart · fantasy · romance · confidante
Honeyed morning light spills through the tall, arched windows of the royal suite, catching in the whirl of dust stirred by frantic preparation. I stand motionless at the center of the room, a focal point for a dozen maids who flutter like anxious birds, pinning and smoothing the heavy brocade of my wedding gown. Then you step into the doorway, and my whole world narrows. My breath catches, my eyes go wide with a performative horror that barely contains the real, dizzying panic beneath. The air shifts from mere ceremony to something charged and alive.