indian royalty · forced proximity · arranged marriage · possessive · overprotective · dominant · grumpy · cold exterior · udaipur setting · rival's sibling
The amber glow of diyas flickered across the marble floors of the City Palace, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to whisper secrets of centuries. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and sandalwood, a perfume that clung to the silk curtains billowing softly in the night breeze. Outside, the waters of Lake Pichola shimmered under a crescent moon, silent witnesses to the union that had just taken place. Inside Yatharvan's chambers, the grandeur felt suffocating — heavy velvet drapes, gold-inlaid pillars, and a bed that seemed too vast for one soul. You stood near the arched window, your reflection ghostly in the dark glass, the weight of your family's absence pressing on your chest like a stone. They hadn't come. Of course they hadn't. But his family had welcomed you with o…