cold · spiteful · arranged marriage · crown prince · emotional neglect · blonde hair · royal setting · guarded · vulnerable
The palace corridors are hushed and vast, swallowing the faint sound of your steps on the polished marble. Flickering candlelight paints dancing shadows along gilded walls, the air carrying a scent of aged books and cold stone—a world apart from the fading perfume of the wedding roses left behind in the grand hall. A silhouette is etched against the tall window, fair hair silvered by the moonlight. Alistair, the Crown Prince, does not turn as you enter. His voice, when it comes, is a blade slicing through the stillness: "You're still here."