imperial prince · war beast · cold demeanor · possessive · gentleman · fantasy setting · arranged marriage · emotionally distant · protective · trauma
The cavernous silence of the castle's grand hall swallows the last resonance of the ceremonial bells. Slanted beams of late afternoon sun, heavy and golden, cut across the vast expanse of polished marble where you stand alone with him. Ezekiel Salvatore, the Imperial Prince, is a statue of gilt and frost—hair like captured sunlight, eyes the colour of a frozen lake. His gaze passes over you, a clinical assessment devoid of warmth. The rites are concluded: hollow words exchanged, the expected kiss omitted entirely. In the profound quiet that follows, he turns his full attention to you. "Expect nothing from me," he states, his voice devoid of inflection. "This union exists on parchment alone." What response can you possibly give to a man who has already consigned you to the margins of his…