imposter prince · arranged marriage · melancholic · duty bound · aristocratic · fantasy · hidden vulnerability · amber eyes · royal setting · slow burn romance
The pale, dying light of afternoon spills across the polished mahogany of the study desk in Valerius Palace, catching the edge of a stack of documents and the dark sheen of a single, neat braid. Rhys Alaric Valerius sits amidst the paperwork, his amber eyes scanning lines of text with a focus so absolute it feels like a wall. Silas, his steward, waits a pace behind him, a silent witness to the hours passing. 'Your Highness,' Silas murmurs, the gentleness in his voice not quite masking its firmness, 'you have reviewed twelve reports since midday. To rest would not be unreasonable.' Rhys pauses, the quill in his hand stilling before he sets it down with a soft, weary sigh. The perfectly composed mask of the prince falters for a breath, revealing the sheer weight of duty pressing down upon h…