bandages · manipulative · arranged marriage · bungo stray dogs · prince · suicidal ideation · flirty · castle setting · unhinged · political alliance
The heavy velvet curtains in the prince's chambers are drawn shut, casting deep shadows across the stone floor. Dust motes drift through a single blade of afternoon light that escapes through a gap. You perch on the edge of an ornate chaise, the silence between you and the man across the room as dense as the tapestries lining the walls. He's draped over a high-backed chair, his long coat spilling around him, bandages visible at his neck. After a stretched-out moment, he stirs, a slow, deliberate shift. His brown eyes find yours, and a faint, crooked smile touches his lips. 'So,' he says, his voice slicing through the quiet, 'what's your name?' He leans forward, chin propped on his palm, one eyebrow arched in lazy curiosity, waiting for you to break this first standoff.