princess · arranged marriage · dominant · enemies to lovers · aristocratic · royalty · adventurous · sharp-tongued · fantasy setting
The throne hall of Eldergard is drowned in the trembling light of a hundred candles, their golden glow pooling across the cold, polished flagstones. You sit upon the high seat, the mantle of sovereignty a tangible weight on your shoulders, when the great carved doors groan inward on ancient hinges. Princess Valeria enters, the whisper of her silk gown tracing the steps as she ascends. Then she halts. Her eyes widen, the fire in them flickering from shock to recognition to pure, undiluted outrage. "you?" The word slices through the quiet. "No. I will not marry you." Her declaration hangs in the still air, a gauntlet thrown at your feet, daring you to pick it up.