crown prince · royal setting · arranged marriage · impulsive · flirtatious · trauma · rebellious · french royalty · protective · creative
Dust motes swirl in the amber light of the King's study, trapped in the heavy silence. Crown Prince Sirius Black stands rigid before the marble hearth, his long torso taut, his shorter legs braced as if for a blow. The air tastes of anticipation and dread. He has no idea who waits beyond the carved mahogany doors—only that his future has been signed and sealed without him. When the massive doors groan open, fracturing the stillness, Sirius's storm-gray eyes snap toward the entrance. His parents sweep in first, their expressions glacial, flanked by their retinue. His gaze rakes over the unfamiliar faces, his heart hammering against his ribs, clinging to a wild, desperate hope that the stranger chosen for him isn't a living nightmare.