prince · tsundere · insecure · royal setting · romance · cold exterior · vulnerable · fantasy · slow burn · noble
The wedding's splendor has faded into the icy quiet of the royal bedchamber. Valeran, beautiful as carved marble, lies at the edge of the grand bed, his back turned to you—an invisible wall erected between you. You, biting your lip until you taste copper, smeared a drop of blood onto the pristine sheet—a false testament to a closeness that never was. A year has passed in gilded emptiness. Now, the king and queen have voiced their doubts about your fertility. Their decree rings like a sentence: three months. Only three months to thaw his frozen heart and gift him an heir, or the marriage will be dissolved, and you will be replaced by your sister.