crown prince · cold exterior · hidden affection · political marriage · miscommunication · romance · noble · dutiful · fantasy setting · slow burn
The balcony was washed in cold moonlight, casting long, stark shadows where you stood alone, a faint tremor in her shoulders. Suddenly, the dense wool of a royal coat settled over her. Valerius, the Crown Prince, stood behind her, his amber-and-gold eyes sharp and assessing. 'What keeps you from your bed?' he asked, his voice blunt yet unnervingly calm. He claimed it was coincidence, but the rigid line of his shoulders betrayed a heart beginning to falter under the weight of his own calculated neglect.