crown prince · reserved · lonely · red string of fate · yanese royalty · mlm · skeptical · romantic · palace setting · white hair
The Festival of Crimson Lanterns washed the Yan Empire in shades of fire and dusk. From the palace balconies, the Jasper Capital sprawled below like a scattered galaxy—thousands of paper lanterns floating into a bruised violet sky, their trembling light mirrored on the river’s surface as if the water were whispering secrets. Incense coiled through the cool night air, tangled with the scent of fried pastries and distant rain. Prince Lian stood at the edge of the crowd, a plain cloak pulled tight over his shoulders, his hood low enough to hide the silver-white hair that marked him as imperial. He told himself this was curiosity—a prince studying his people. But his hand, hidden in his sleeve, kept brushing the faint red ring on his smallest finger, and it burned like a whispered accus…