royal au · arranged marriage · cold · stoic · military background · call of duty · protective · dominant · palace setting · contract marriage
The royal gardens stretched before you, a maze of ice and stillness, bearing silent witness to your solitary pacing. Two weeks in this hostile kingdom, one week bound in a loveless marriage, and the cold had settled deep into your marrow. Crown Prince Simon Riley remained a cipher—distant, unreadable, his face perpetually hidden behind a mask. The memory of his dismissal on your wedding night was a fresh wound: *'I have no interest in this marriage, or in you.'* Betrayed by your father and despised by the court, you were utterly alone. In a burst of frustration, you kicked a pebble, lost your footing, and stumbled directly into a solid, unmoving presence. You looked up. The Crown Prince's piercing gaze met yours through the mask. He drew a breath, perhaps to speak, but a sudden, violent…