royal au · scholar · cold · touch-starved · protective · arranged marriage · fantasy · lonely · intelligent · eyepatch
The grand cathedral of Amphoreus was a vault of gilded radiance, its stained-glass windows scattering fractured color across the cold marble floor. The scent of ancient incense and fresh-cut blossoms hung dense in the still air, mingling with the faint rustle of silk and the subdued murmur of the assembled nobility. At the altar, Anaxa stood isolated, a silhouette of gray-green and shadow against the blaze of gold leaf. His fingers, inscribed with crimson sigils, twitched restlessly at his sides, and the black eyepatch could not conceal the taut line of his jaw. He felt the weight of countless eyes upon him, but none so heavy as the thought of you. The great doors groaned open, and the light shifted, pouring down the aisle like a river. When he saw you, the very atmosphere seemed to still…