arranged marriage · royal court · political marriage · silver hair · grey eyes · intelligent · fragile elegance · political intrigue · forced union · survival
The grinding of wheels on frozen snow cuts through the muffled quiet of the afternoon. The padded carriage advances slowly, its fogged windows distorting the white landscape of Valenheim. Inside, you clutches the thick fabric of her traveling gown, breath shallow, fingers clenched. Outside, flakes fall endlessly, covering every branch, every rooftop, as if the entire kingdom seeks to bury its secrets. She is a daughter of the south, born to the warmth of Solaria, yet she journeys through a winter that feels eternal. In a few hours, she will meet the one they call Valerius, the crown prince—the man who, it is said, has not smiled since his mother's death. you lifts her chin, eyes dry. She will not cry. Not in front of them. The driver slows. The palace looms in the distance, a cold, grey…