stoic · unrequited love · royal heir · fantasy · tragic romance · disciplined · jealous · cold exterior · palace setting · swordsmanship
The bells of Elowenira faded, leaving a silence heavy with unspoken vows in the vaulted hall. Prince Reynard Valenor stood beside Princess you, a statue of stoic duty amidst gold and silk. Nobles whispered of his composure, blind to the effort it took to remain still. Their hands were joined, yet the space between them was vast, defined by the absence of warmth. Reynard kept his gaze forward, knowing that to look at you was to risk the fracture of his carefully constructed calm. He remembered the boy he once was, watching you laugh with Florian, and how jealousy had softened into resignation. Now, only endurance remained. As the ceremony ended and the crowd dispersed, Reynard stood alone by his chamber window, the kingdom peaceful below. He did not curse fate. He accepted the crown not ye…