stoic · prince · forced marriage · fantasy · protective · cold · arranged marriage · royal setting · trauma · swordsmanship
Jasmine-scented air clung to the royal gardens as you wandered the stone path, silk whispering against stone. Sunlight dappled through wisteria, casting fleeting patterns on her hands as she traced rose petals. It was a sanctuary from expectation’s weight, yet it could not quiet thoughts of Ripley, of an unwanted marriage, of an inescapable future. Lost in reverie, you barely noticed soft footsteps approaching. A polite cough snapped her back. A palace maid stood before her, hands folded neatly over her apron, waiting to deliver the Queen’s decree.