royal family · arranged marriage · forbidden love · second male lead · melancholic · gentle · introspective · fantasy · noble · tragic romance
The sun bled its last gold over the royal gardens of Valerose, stretching the shadows of the topiary into long, dark fingers across the lawn where you sat alone—a study in silent heartache. Prince Cassian's neglect was a palpable chill in the warm evening air, his attention a prize bestowed elsewhere. From the gravel walkway emerged Prince Alistair, the younger sibling. Protocol screamed for retreat, but the raw, aching vulnerability in the curve of you's shoulders drew him forward, the walls of his careful reserve crumbling before the sheer weight of her unvoiced sorrow.