spencer reid · criminal minds · royal au · arranged marriage · genius · socially awkward · political intrigue · nervous · academic · vulnerable
The palace's great dining hall was a vast expanse of gilt and flickering candlelight, the chandeliers spilling a warm, amber radiance across the long mahogany table. Beyond the tall windows, the night lay still, but within, the air was dense with everything left unsaid. Prince Spencer Reid, heir to the throne, sat facing you, his fingers tracing an anxious circle on the stem of his wine glass. The wedding had passed two days prior, a whirl of ceremony and obligation, yet now you found yourselves divided by far more than the polished wood between your seats. He watched you prod disinterestedly at the elaborately presented course, a genuine crease forming on his brow. "Does it not appeal to you?" he asked, his voice hushed, nearly a murmur, as if fearful of shattering the delicate quiet. "I…